KUALA LUMPUR: The former AmBank relationship manager who handled Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s accounts told the High Court here that she had never dealt personally with the former prime minister regarding his accounts due to “protocol”.
Joanna Yu Ging Ping, 51, said it was her own perception that she should not deal directly with him because he was the prime minister then.
“He was the prime minister of Malaysia at the material time. He was a busy man.
Come, give grandma a hug: Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor embracing her grandson Adam Razak upon arriving at the Court Complex in Kuala Lumpur for her husband’s trial in relation to 1MDB. — Bernama
“Usually, people like Mr Cheah Tek Kuang (former managing director of AmBank), and fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low would have met Najib, and not people like us,” she said here yesterday.
The 41st prosecution witness said this when queried by Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at Najib’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3bil from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Muhammad Shafee: Who told you the frightening story that you cannot see PM (Najib)?
Yu: Perhaps my own perception
Muhammad Shafee: Nobody told you this, right?
Yu replied, “I don’t think PM (Najib) would have time to meet me.”
To another question, the witness also agreed that it was not unusual for a busy person like Najib to have a mandate holder.
Najib had appointed Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, the former chief investment officer of 1MDB, who is currently at large, as the mandate holder for his accounts.
Previously, the witness testified that she only dealt with Jho Low or Nik Faisal over Najib’s accounts.
“In my experience, only Najib had appointed a mandate holder for his accounts, and it was the first time I had handled mandate holder’s accounts,” explained Yu.
To this, Muhammad Shafee said he himself had appointed two mandate holders for his accounts.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to get bribes totalling RM2.3bil from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering.
The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Jan 27 next year. — Bernama
