KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has rubbished the prosecution's narrative in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial alleging he abused his position to receive a US$20mil kickback.
The former prime minister said that it was "baseless and utterly absurd" for the prosecution to allege that he took steps - including purportedly directing the 1MDB board of directors to pass a resolution to participate in a joint venture with PetroSaudi International (PSI) Ltd - in order to receive a gratification of US$9,999,977 on Feb 24, 2011 and another US$9,999,977 on June 14, the same year.
Najib claimed that it was fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho (also known as Jho Low), Tarek Obaid and Patrick Mahony (both from PSI) who amassed vast fortunes from the funds misappropriated from 1MDB.
"Yet, the prosecution alleges that I, while holding two most powerful positions in terms of being the head of the government and the head of financial sector spending, prime minister and finance minister respectively, would jeopardise my political career and reputation that was build over 40 years to commit a criminal act for the sake of receiving US$9,999,977 on two separate occasions.
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"This is a desperate claim by them that only fools would believe," Najib said in his witness statement here on Wednesday (Dec 4).
The former Pekan MP said in jest that the prosecution's narrative was "kind" to him and it painted him as the "most generous and self-sacrificing" purported co-conspirator in history.
"The prosecution narrative essentially alleges that I generously enabled everyone to enrich themselves with hundreds of millions while I, purportedly Jho Low's 'mirror image' and the so-called mastermind of this scheme, received a mere fraction of the spoils years later, while on the other hand, Jho Low immediately would receive a total of US$547mil, Tarek Obaid US$120mil and Patrick Mahoney US$33mil."
Najib pointed out that a Swiss court had conclusively identified the three individuals as responsible for the misappropriation of funds from 1MDB's coffers.
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"They orchestrated this elaborate deception without my involvement.
"Importantly, the court made no mention of me as a participant in these fraudulent transactions or as a recipient of any laundered funds," he added.
On Oct 30, Najib was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on four counts of using his position to obtain RM2.28bil gratification from 1MDB's funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
