KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has not filed any lawsuit against AmBank for mishandling his account between 2015 and 2018.
AmBank (M) Bhd Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi, 43, testified that Najib had never made any complaint about his bank statements to the bank.
The 37th prosecution witness said this when asked additional questions by Senior Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram during the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial here on Monday (Sept 12).
Sri Ram: Does your bank have a system where a customer is sent a bank statement in intervals?
Uma Devi: Yes, every month, the customer is sent a statement.
Sri Ram: On monthly intervals?
Uma Devi: Yes.
Sri Ram: Did he (the accused) ever complain about his (bank) statements to the bank?
Uma Devi: No, as far as my knowledge, even in the SRC International case, there was no dispute or complaints about his account.
Sri Ram: What about this case (1MDB)? Same answer?
Uma Devi: Yes (no complaints).
Sri Ram: Between 2015 and 2018, did the accused file any proceedings against your bank for mishandling, to your knowledge?
Uma Devi: To my knowledge, no.
On Dec 10, 2019, Najib sued AmBank Islamic Bhd and its former relationship manager Joanna Yu over the management of accounts under his name, namely accounts ending 694, 880, 898 and 906 which Najib claimed were managed by AmBank without his knowledge and used to divert funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
On Sept 28, 2020, the High Court allowed an application by Yu and AmBank to strike out the lawsuit on the grounds that the legal action by Najib was unsustainable.
The High Court judge found the lawsuit scandalous, frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process.
Najib appealed against the decision at the Court of Appeal but lost in January, this year.
Earlier, Uma Devi told the court that her evidence in court in the SRC International case - which ultimately saw the Federal Court affirming Najib's conviction and sentence - was accepted by the High Court and the appellate court.
Last week, Uma Devi testified that Najib held five accounts with Ambank; one savings account ending with number 694, and four current accounts, namely AmIslamic (ending with number 481), AmPrivate Banking- 1MY (880), AmPrivate Banking-Y1MY (898) and AmPrivate Banking-MY (906).
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.28bil from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing resumes before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Tuesday (Sept 13).
