PUTRAJAYA: The High Court was told that a team from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had gone to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) investigation but the purported pre-planned trip was nothing short of a simple excursion to "cut-and-paste statement, eat and go home".
MACC senior Asst Supt in the anti-money laundering division (Amla) Nasharudin Amir testified that as the investigating officer, he was unsatisfied that the "Arab prince" met by the team was Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Majid Al Saud.
"I am not sure if we did meet the person (Prince Saud) because I was never introduced to him," Nasharuddin said at the RM2.28bil 1MDB trial here on Friday (Feb 21).
Nasharuddin was part of the team from the MACC who went to the Riyadh Palace between Nov 27 and Nov 29, 2015 to determine the authenticity of four donation letters from Saudi Arabia, addressed to Datuk Seri Najib Razak who is accused of misappropriating funds from 1MDB.
During cross-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, the witness said the team did not carry out profiling on the individual said to be Prince Saud.
He was also not given the chance to examine the individual's passport.
DPP Ahmad Akram: I suggest that the team had only briefly looked at the passport.
Nasharuddin: Yes.
DPP Ahmad Akram: You, as the IO, did not get to take a look at all.
Nasharuddin: Yes.
DPP Ahmad Akram: As the IO, were you satisfied that you recorded the statement from Prince Saud?
Nasharuddin: Not satisfied.
The witness also told the court that he was unsatisfied with the finding that the four Arab donation letters were legitimate and that the monies in Najib's account came from Prince Saud.
To a suggestion, Nasharuddin agreed that there were statements that were prepared before the team's arrival and all they had to do with the statements was to "cut and paste" into MACC statement format.
DPP Ahmad Akram: I put it to you, from the start till the end of this pre-planned trip, you didn't have to investigate anything. You only go there to cut and paste their statements, eat and come back.
Nasharuddin: I agree.
On Oct 30, last year, 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 Monday (Feb 24).
