JHO LOW PAINTED AS THE ULTIMATE CULPRIT
Najib’s lawyer points finger at Jho Low but MACC officer pooh-poohs the suggestion
FUGITIVE businessman Low Taek Jho @ Jho Low was yesterday painted as the ultimate culprit in the SRC International Sdn Bhd scandal which landed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the dock.
Najib’s lawyer attempted to pin everything that had gone wrong and the embezzlement of the company’s funds on Low but this was brushed off by the investigating officer of the case.
“Jho Low was treating the company like it belonged to his father, wasn’t he?
“He is the one who controlled the accounts through his associates and is ultimately responsible for all the wrongdoings, isn’t he?” Najib’s lawyer, Harvinderjit Singh, said when cross-examining Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Senior Assistant Commissioner Rosli Hussain.
Harvinderjit repeatedly shot questions of similar nature at Rosli but the 54-year old graftbuster remained steadfast in his answers.
He consistently rejected the lawyer’s suggestions that Najib had been duped by Low, who was blamed for manipulating SRC International and several other companies which had been implicated in the scandal.
The companies named included Putra Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd, Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd and Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd.
Harvinderjit then said Rosli was denying his suggestions as the MACC had failed to conduct a thorough investigation into the case.
However, Rosli disagreed vehemently and said his investigation showed that whatever was done “did not benefit Low”.
Earlier, Rosli also stood firm when Harvinderjit attempted to pressure him on the authenticity of Najib’s signatures on documents which had been tendered as evidence in the case.
He maintained that the signatures were indeed that of Najib and as far as he was concerned, the documents were originals which had been obtained from AmBank, where the former finance minister had opened his accounts.
To another question, Rosli confirmed that MACC investigations
showed RM642 million had flowed into Najib’s accounts from Prince Faisal Turki and the Ministry of Finance in Riyadh. Harvinderjit: Can you confirm that there was money which went into his account from Prince Faisal Turki? Rosli: Yes. Harvinderjit: The amount was RM369 million?
Rosli: Yes... thereabouts... It was a lot of money. Harvinderjit: There was also money which came in from the Ministry of Finance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Rosli: Yes.
Harvinderjit: The amount was RM243 million?
Rosli: Yes.
After some tense moments during the cross-examination, there were also some light-hearted exchanges between the duo.
This happened when Harvinderjit did not want to let Rosli off after the latter said he could not remember the full name of another MACC investigating officer who was involved in probing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal. Harvinderjit: Her name is Aidah... She is also a Senior Assistant Commissioner.
Rosli: Yes. Harvinderjit: What is her full name?
Rosli: I cannot remember. Harvinderjit: But she is your colleague.
Yes, she is my colleague... Colleague, yes, but she is not my wife, so I cannot remember her full name.
His response had everyone laughing including Harvinderjit, who eventually moved on to another question.
Najib, 66, is facing six charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust in the transfer of RM42 million of SRC International funds into his accounts.
He is also accused of abusing his power as prime minister by giving government guarantees on SRC International’s RM4 billion loan from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP).
The Pekan member of parliament was charged with committing the offences at the AmIslamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Aug 17, 2011 and Feb 10, 2015.
He faces 20 years’ jail if convicted.