WITNESS: EX-PM NOT ASKED IF OKAY GIVEN
MACC officer says 1MDB’s former CEO was interrogated on the transaction
THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case never asked former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak if he had instructed the transfer of US$700 million to a shell company linked to fugitive Low Taek Jho.
Nur Aida Ariffin said she had interrogated 1MDB’s former chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Helmi on the transaction.
She said this when responding to Najib’s defence counsel Wan Azwan Aiman’s questions during cross-examination.
The US$700 million was part of 1MDB’s US$1 billion that was supposed to be channelled to a jointventure company set up between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) but had ended up in Good Star’s coffers, a company linked to Low, who is better known as Jho Low.
It was reported that only US$300 million was remitted to the joint venture firm’s JP Morgan account.
Najib’s defence had all this while argued that it was Shahrol who had worked with Low to rip off 1MDB.
Wan Azwan: Shahrol was Low’s alter ego.
Nur Aida: I disagree. He believed that every instruction from Low was from Najib.
Wan Azwan: Did you ask my client whether he had directed the transfer of the sum?
Nur Aida: I asked Shahrol.
Wan Azwan: Did you ask Najib? Nur Aida: No.
It was previously reported that Najib’s defence had alleged that Shahrol was the culprit who helped facilitate a scam to siphon US$700 million of the fund’s money to Good Star.
He was accused of working with Low and former 1MDB chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil — both of whom have disappeared — to pull off the scam.
However, Shahrol had previously testified that Najib was aware of this as he had raised the matter of the US$700 million transfer to Good Star, in a private meeting with the then prime minister in October 2009.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.