Malaysia’s ex-PM Najib Razak says he wants to know the truth about the funds that are declared missing by the prosecution in his SRC International Sdn Bhd’s case.
He disagreed with prosecutors who said the funds, RM4 billion borrowed from the Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) went missing. He said the claim has yet to be established and that he, too, wants to know the truth about what happened.
Attorney-General Tommy Thomas who is the lead prosecutor in Najib’s SRC International ongoing graft case said, “This RM4 billion in two loans from KWAP given to SRC has totally disappeared.”
“I disagree as we have yet to establish the funds in Switzerland,” said Najib, to which the attorney asks, “So you still claim there are funds in Switzerland?”
Najib’s reply was, ‘We must establish,” during the cross-examination at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
The prosecutor then told Najib he did not establish that yet, that is the money is in Switzerland and Najib said this is for the prosecutor to establish.
“I put it to you that the assets have disappeared and RM4 billion has totally been misspent,” said the prosecutor. But Najib said he disagrees, and he too wants to know the truth.
During the cross-examination, Najib denied he tried to cover-up the disappearance of the money by preventing his then second finance minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah from travelling to Switzerland in 2015 to establish the status of the money.
He said this was not true when the prosecutor suggested the minister was prevented from travelling as he would have discovered the money was stolen.
In August, Husni, who resigned as Minister in 2016, had accused Najib of trying to block him from recovering SRC International’s funds in Switzerland.
The Swiss Attorney-General’s Office, in October 2016, confirmed that it was investigating transactions involving SRC International.
But since then, the AOG has not given any information on the whereabouts of the missing funds. -/TISG