PUTRAJAYA: The 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) special task force that was set up in 2015 to investigate the company's misconduct was essentially an illegitimate body, the High Court told.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak made this assertion during cross-examination at the 1MDB trial in Putrajaya here on Tuesday (Jan 21).
He was asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar about former Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, who were both removed from their positions in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
DPP Kamal Baharin: I put it to you, the investigation (into 1MDB) was the reason they both were replaced.
Najib: I disagree.
DPP Kamal Baharin: When these two important figures were removed, there was a roadblock to the special task force.
Najib: I disagree. Because the investigation was still ongoing despite the task force being illegal. It was not set up using proper regulations.
Najib further said that the task force, in essence, was illegal as its establishment was not under the purview of the Attorney General.
"If the Attorney General was to set up a task force today, it would still be illegal. There is no law nor provisions for it," he said.
DPP Kamal Baharin suggested that with the disbandment of the task force, the investigation into 1MDB was diverted.
Najib disagreed.
The DPP also suggested that Najib had ordered former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz to issue a statement regarding the inflow of monies in his personal bank accounts.
DPP Kamal Baharin: Did you order Zeti to issue a statement that the inflow of money was not an offence?
Najib: I did not order her to do that. I asked her whether the monies could be validated (disahkan) or not. That was it.
DPP Kamal Baharin: I put it to you, you ordered her to say that the incoming money is not an offence.
Najib: No, I did not.
On July 27, 2015, Abdul Gani's tenure as the AG ended. He was replaced by Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
Meanwhile, Abu Kassim left his role on August 1, 2016, before reaching retirement age.
On July 27, 2015, the 1MDB special task force on 1MDB — comprising Abdul Gani, Abu Kassim, Zeti and then-inspector-general of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar — was disbanded.
On October 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 on Wednesday (Jan 22).
