Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak lied to the world when he said billions of ringgit that flowed in his bank account comprised of donations from a royal figure in Saudi Arabia.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram said that Najib knew the money in his account came from 1MDB. This statement was made in his opening remarks in the 1MDB audit tampering trial.
The trial involves Najib and 1MDB’s former chief executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
“He was the shadow director of 1MDB. As such, he would be both civilly and criminally liable for any breach of duty (to) the company.
“Monies belonging to 1MDB flowed into the account of a company called Good Star Limited, which was controlled by Najib’s mirror image or alter ego… a man called Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, whom the accused was particularly protective of.
“Some of those monies also went to Najib’s stepson, Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz,” he said.
The prosecution said it will establish the facts, which it said will tie Najib to the money-laundering case.
This is the third 1MDB-linked case which Najib is defending in the courts.
On Dec 12, 2018, Najib was charged with using his position to order alterations to the 1MDB final audit report before it was finalised.
The (doctored) report was then tabled to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). It was to clear Najib of all wrongdoing but the report was not made public until recently.
A witness called by the prosecution told the court yesterday Najib was unhappy with the contents of the 1MDB Audit Report.
He did not want two conflicting financial statements mentioned.
Former chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa said Najib summoned him to his office on Feb 22, 2016 to discuss the removing of one of the two sets of financial statements in the report.
Ali Hamsa said he had known Najib since 2009 but on that day he looked a little upset.
Saying Najib received large amounts of money belonging to 1MDB, the prosecution said, “The adage is that the truth will come out. That happened here.”
“Sometime in early July 2015, the 1MDB scandal broke. It received wide publicity and Najib began to cover his tracks,” he said, adding that much of what Najib had done was subject to the latter’s ongoing 1MDB trial.
Najib, 66, is accused of using his position to obtain immunity from legal action in relation to allegations that he tampered with the 1MDB audit report between Feb 22 and 26, 2016. -/TISG