1MDB trial: Najib’s former aide in tears when talking about late boss, stress
NATION
Wednesday, 04 Sep 20191:09 PM MYT
By ROYCE TAN and NURBAITI HAMDAN
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/09/04/251821.jpg
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin got all choked up while reading his witness statement during the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial on Wednesday (Sept 4).
He shed a tear or two when he spoke about his former boss Datuk Seri Azlin Alias and the stress he faced after Azlin passed away.
Amhari said Najib began giving him confidential instructions directly following Azlin's demise, and he had to start taking over special tasks involving secrets.
Amhari related an incident where Najib instructed him to go to China alone to confirm that there was an agreement to strengthen bilateral relationships and trade, saying Low Taek Jho would handle his trip there.
“I had to agree and follow Najib's instructions at the time because the instructions came from Najib himself.
“At the same time, I was really stressed with the situation and it also came across my mind to resign because this instruction is putting pressure on me, especially when Azlin was no more, ” Amhari said.
He added that he had no choice but to carry out Najib's orders as he was the boss and the prime minister.
He told the High Court that he was afraid he would be included in Najib and Low's arrangements to cover up 1MDB's losses, the payment of International Petroleum Investment Company (Ipic) debts related to the misappropriation of 1MDB funds or the provision of political funds.
“If I reject this order, it might bring harm or problems to myself, ” he said.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/04/1mdb-trial-najibs-former-aide-in-tears-when-talking-about-late-boss-stress#uVo3Id3U0AlEZwYv.99
Witness: Three mega-projects, including ECRL, mooted to bail out 1MDB
NATION
Wednesday, 04 Sep 20193:34 PM MYT
By ROYCE TAN and NURBAITI HAMDAN
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/09/04/251826.jpg
witness of Datuk Seri Najib Razak at The Kuala Lumpur court House for The 1MDB case
KUALA LUMPUR: Three controversial mega-projects mooted during Datuk Seri Najib Razak's administration were conceived to bail out the debt-laden 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
These projects are the Multi-Product Pipeline (MPP) and Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP), which have been terminated, and the East Cast Rail Link (ECRL), which has been renegotiated.
Najib's former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin said this was the gist of the document he received entitled "Action Point: China-Malaysia" via email following his trip to China.
He said the document was either received from Low Taek Jho, more commonly known as Jho Low, through email or received by hand from Terence Geh.
Amhari verified the document, which showed that Low had planned for Najib to make Geh, who Amhari knew as Heng, to be the overall coordinator of the 1MDB/SRC debt resolution programme.
Geh is also known as Geh Choh Heng, one of the key figures wanted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the 1MDB scandal.
"I can summarise this document as an extension of my personal visit to China on June 28,2016 where the projects suggested were to bailout 1MDB.
"This document is an information note and talking points on the status update for the projects and the proposal of follow-up works for TSGP, MPP and ECRL," he said.
Amhari was then cross-examined by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib about Geh.
Akram: Who is Terence Geh or Heng?
Amhari: Terence Geh, I later found out that he is one of the names that the authorities are looking for.
Akram: Who is he then?
Amhari: I did not know him then.
Akram: Who is Heng?
Amhari: Heng is Terence Geh. (Laughter erupts in court)
Akram: What was his role?
Amhari: Heng was appointed as the coordinator for the Malaysia-China cooperation.
Akram: Who appointed him?
Amhari: Jho Low asked Najib to appoint him.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/04/witness-three-mega-projects-including-ecrl-mooted-to-bail-out-1mdb#gXxR18RqpbocfXC7.99
Late principal private secretary had to firefight expose
NATION
Wednesday, 04 Sep 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: The late principal private secretary to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had to firefight the damage caused by media reports on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal as he was the one who knew the most about the state fund.
When news of the scandal broke, Datuk Seri Azlin Alias did not take it as a big issue as the reports had then focused on fugitive financier Low Taek Jho’s lavish lifestyle and not directly on Najib, the High Court was told yesterday.
Najib’s former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, 43, testified that Azlin had to handle the damage in early 2015 when the media started to play up the issue involving Najib.
“The biggest issue that caused a negative impact on Najib related to a property purchase and the funding of a Hollywood movie by Najib’s stepson Riza Aziz using 1MDB funds, ” Amhari said.
The witness said the media expose shocked everyone at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), including him and Azlin.
He said Low, commonly known as Jho Low, instructed him and Azlin through his talking points to inform everyone at the PMO that the issue was manipulated by the Opposition which wanted to bring down Najib.
Amhari recalled an incident during the height of the scandal in 2015 when Azlin blew his top.
“On that day, I had just arrived at my office in PMO and waited for Azlin in his office as Azlin met with Najib.
“As soon as he reached his office, he looked so stressed and vented out by yelling ‘Duit 1MDB lah, bro!’ (It’s 1MDB money, bro!) to me and slammed his files on the desk, ” he said.
Amhari said the incident was etched in his memory as Azlin was usually a calm and polite person who would have never raised his voice.
“At that time I believe Azlin was reacting to all of the media expose on 1MDB.
“He was so stressed, so I left his office as I did not want to bother him, ” he said.
Amhari also said that he read a news report on the 1MDB trial about Azlin arranging the opening of an AmBank account for Najib, by instructing former SRC International Sdn Bhd CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil to handle the account.
This was the account that received a huge sum of RM2.6bil, purportedly a political donation.
“I was shocked to read that and I did not think it was entirely accurate, ” he said.
Describing Azlin as a loyalist who would follow instructions from his boss, Amhari said it was “illogical” to say that Azlin made the arrangement without the approval of Najib or Jho Low.
Referring to the same news report, Amhari said he now understood what Azlin meant with his “Duit 1MDB lah, bro!” remark.
“It was a huge probability that he was referring to the US$680mil or RM2.6bil that was in Najib’s private bank account, ” he said.
According to Amhari, Azlin never shared with him the details of the said account.
“This was because he was a secretive person when it comes to private affairs involving Najib, ” he said.
Azlin joined Najib’s team in 2008 when Najib was the deputy prime minister to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He was 47 when he died in a helicopter crash on April 4,2015.
The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.
Najib, 66, is facing 25 charges – four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of RM2.3bil; and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.
For alleged abuse of power, he was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law.
He faces imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/04/late-principal-private-secretary-had-to-firefight-expose#Z7XsC80cJrlAdXcR.99
