KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told that a financial fraud investigator did not trace whether the US$620mil Datuk Seri Najib Razak returned to the Tanore Finance Corporation account was subsequently channelled back to the former prime minister.
Richard Templeman, who is based in the United Kingdom, admitted this when cross-examined by Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in a civil lawsuit by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and four subsidiaries against Najib and six others, here yesterday.
Muhammad Shafee pointed out that Najib received US$681mil and returned a huge chunk of US$620mil to Tanore a few months later.
The witness was asked if he knew the US$620mil was redirected to the former prime minister.
Templeman admitted that he did not know whether the funds had made their way back to Najib but maintained he had investigated the relevant issues.
Muhammad Shafee: Don’t you think that is a critical issue, given that you are acting as a fraud investigator?
Templeman: I believe I have investigated the relevant matters.
Muhammad Shafee: But you did not investigate whether the US$620mil somehow went around and came back to Najib?
Templeman: No. I do not believe I have ever claimed that.
Muhammad Shafee also queried Templeman whether he investigated Najib’s claims that the funds were transferred into his account with the approval of Bank Negara.
“I have not seen that document,” Templeman said in response.
Muhammad Shafee also highlighted that Templeman only took over the investigation in July 2021, two months after 1MDB had filed the civil suit, suggesting that he was brought in to support an existing claim.
Templeman agreed that the suit had already been filed before he began his investigation.
Muhammad Shafee then suggested that the witness had been called to testify to “bolster a claim that had already been made”, to which Templeman replied that he could not comment.
On May 7, 2021, 1MDB and its subsidiaries 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd, 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd and Global Diversified Investment Company Ltd (formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Ltd) filed the civil suit.
They named Najib, former 1MDB finance officer Terrence Geh Choh Heng; former 1MDB general counsel; former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee; former chief investment officer Vincent Beng Huat Koh; former chief operations officer Radhi Mohamad; former investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jim; as well as former SRC International Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, as the defendants.
The plaintiffs claimed that the defendants had committed breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duties, abused their powers and plotted to misappropriate 1MDB’s funds.
The hearing before Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Redzuan Idrus continues today.
