KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former relationship manager at AmBank told the High Court that his bank account was the only account owned by an individual that was given a codename to protect its privacy in the "strictest confidence".
Joanna Yu, 51, said that Najib's current account ending 694 was opened in 2011 and was given the codename "AmPrivate Banking – MR".
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"I recall that this (using codenames) was both a request and suggestion by (fugitive businessman) Low Taek Jho (or Jho Low) and he also requested that this account be classified as 'strictest confidence' where it is not easy to reveal Datuk Seri's personal name to anyone who has access to the account system at the branch," she said in her witness statement here on Thursday (Oct 13).
The prosecution witness was testifying in Najib's RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial here.
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Yu, who was then attached to the bank's Jalan Raja Chulan branch, said in all her time dealing with private clients, this was the first time an individual account was created with a codename.
"Normally, codenames are assigned to certain corporate projects accounts," she added.
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Yu said she asked AmBank's operations division if it was possible to have an account with two names to incorporate the codename and the division confirmed to her that there was no issue with codenames as there were corporate project-based accounts that were referred to by their project names.
The witness, however, could not recall who had coined the codename of "AmPrivate Banking-MR".
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"I only know that there were discussions to use this codename for the purpose of protecting information and preserving the sensitivity of this account," she said.
Yu said she was informed by her former managing director Cheah Tek Kuang that the codename was relayed to the then Bank Negara governor, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
The witness said five personal accounts were opened at the Raja Chulan branch under Najib's name; a savings account and four current accounts as well as two credit card accounts which were Visa Platinum and Mastercard Platinum.
Yu said Najib informed the bank that he wanted to close his accounts ending 481 and 694 via a letter dated June 20, 2013.
Shen then contacted 1MDB's chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who was the mandate holder of Najib's bank accounts, that there was a balance in the 694 account and asked where the funds should be transferred to.
"Nik Faisal then informed me that Datuk Sri intends to open three new accounts, each for a different and specific purpose," she said.
After the balance was transferred to a new account, the 694 account was closed.
Three new accounts were subsequently created, ending in the numbers 880, 898 and 906.
"I recall that Nik Faisal informed Ambank that Najib asked Ambank to maintain codenames arrangement for these new accounts for the same purpose, which is to protect information and also maintain sensitivity," Yu said.
She said during the time she was the relationship manager for Najib's accounts, there were large amounts of foreign funds flowing into the accounts, particularly accounts ending 694 and 880, and the monies were confirmed by Nik Faisal as "gifts".
"I recall being informed by the Treasury division that all foreign funds were reported to Bank Negara," she added.
Najib, 69, is on trial for 25 charges in total - four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of RM2.28bil; and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Nov 7.
