Ex-PM Najib Razak received RM2.28 billion from state fund 1MDB into his personal bank accounts between 2011 and 2014.
This is what a witness in the 1MDB trial says today in his testimony in the case.
Former non-executive director Ismee Ismail, 58, agreed with the prosecution’s contention after being shown a flow chart of several layering processes revolving around the Deutsche Bank and Islamic medium-term notes facility loan.
He is admitting that Najib has received the money is contrary to his previous testimony in which he said Najib had not benefited from 1MDB funds.
He changed his mind during re-examination by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram.
Documents revealed during the re-examination that the money passed through a variety of stacking processes before ending up in Najib’s personal AmBank accounts.
Sri Ram had asked the witness, “Would you like to revisit your answer that the accused (Najib) did not obtain any benefit from these transactions?”
“These documents were not shown to me during cross-examination,” replied the witness, Ismee Ismail.
“From the chart, I can see some funds went into the account,” the witness said.
“You mean some funds belonging to 1MDB went into the accused’s account?” Sri Ram asked and Ismee agreed that funds did go into Najib’s account based on the forensics on the money trail.
The 1MDB case is the second court case Najib is facing after the SRC International case in which he was sentenced to 12 years in jail and a RM210 million fine.
A free man
Najib Razak, 68, successfully obtained a stay of execution for his sentence in the SRC International case in December last year.
However, the former prime minister failed to appeal his conviction and sentencing at the same time. He was accused of misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, which is linked to the infamous 1MDB.
In the 1MDB investigation, he is accused of exploiting his position to receive bribes of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds on four counts.
He is also charged with 21 counts of money laundering involving the same sum.
Najib is waiting for the final appeal in the SRC International case, pending which, he is still a free man and remains a Member of Parliament representing the Umno and the Barisan Nasional coalition,
However, he does not have any cabinet posts.
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