Najib spent RM80,000 for cancer prevention supplements in 2013, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: In 2013, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak spent RM80,000 for supplements and vitamins for cancer prevention, specifically leukaemia, from the donation money he allegedly received from Saudi royalty, the High Court was told on Thursday (Nov 9).

Assistant Director of the Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division ACP Foo Wei Min confirmed this when questioned by Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, on the RM80,000 payout from Najib’s AmIslamic personal account to an entity known as Vital Spire Sdn Bhd, which the former premier said was for blood cancer treatments as recommended by the doctor.

Muhammad Shafee was questioning the 48th prosecution witness on the statements under Section 32 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA), which he (Foo) recorded from Najib during questioning on Aug 27, 2018.

The lawyer then read out excerpts from Najib’s statement to Foo, which included Najib’s claim that the supplements were for his general health and as a preventive measure after his father, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the second Prime Minister, passed away of leukaemia.

In the statement, Najib also said he had this fear as a prime minister. If he had a similar situation to Tun Razak, he wouldn’t be able to carry on with the country's administration, so he wanted to prevent this (leukaemia) situation.

Muhammad Shafee: Do you recall, Najib told you the total cost for that medicine was about RM1 million or less and that he could have taken this treatment from the government, but he didn’t want to burden the government, so he took it from the money that he thought were donations. Do you remember?

Foo: I think he did mention that.

Earlier, Foo also verified other transactions such as RM9 million payment to Zeal Hi-Tech Solutions Sdn Bhd for goodie bags and souvenirs for UMNO members, RM9 million to textile retailer Jakel Trading for a charity programme in Pekan, Pahang, and robes for mosque committee members all over Malaysia, several payments to political parties components including Pahang MCA Liasion Committee and Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) as well as a RM200,000 welfare assistance to Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS).

Muhammad Shafee said he would continue questioning the witness on a few more transactions next week. Still, he suggested to Foo that the accusation that 'Najib is a kleptocrat' is wrong after Najib's spending was all for political and corporate social responsibility (CSR) purposes and not for personal gain.

Foo said he is not in the position to comment on this, and he is only focusing on the investigation, as an investigation officer of the case would do.

Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and 21 money laundering charges involving the same amount.

The trial before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Nov 14.- Bernama