Buck stops with Najib, says 1MDB witness

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak is accountable for every action taken as prime minister, finance minister and chairman of the board of advisers of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), the High Court heard.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Senior Supt Nur Aida Arifin testified that Najib, or the 1MDB management, had never made a complaint to the police or the MACC to investigate the misappropriation of 1MDB funds.

She said 1MDB funds had been swindled since 2009, yet no legal action was taken against fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, or any other parties over the crime.

Low, she said, was not officially appointed with a position in the government or 1MDB, but he played an active role in 1MDB’s operations.

“Najib also never instructed any of the 1MDB management members to distance themselves from Jho Low,” Nur Aida said.

The 49th prosecution witness was reading the “conclusion” section of her witness statement at Najib’s RM2.28bil 1MDB corruption trial here yesterday.

Based on her investigation, Nur Aida said Low participated in Najib’s family holidays including two that he himself had arranged.

Nur Aida said Low was on the RM Elegance yacht in southern France in 2009 where he arranged a meeting between Najib, Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) CEO Tarek Obaid.

He was also on the Golden Odyssey yacht in the Greek and Italian waters in 2010; and on the Topaz yacht in the southern waters of France in 2013.

The holidays on the Golden Odyssey and the Topaz were arranged by Low and his associate Eric Tan.

According to Nur Aida, former finance minister II Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah was instructed by Najib, at that time, to not interfere in 1MDB affairs.

The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah next Monday.