BERNAMA
09/02/2021
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 -- The High Court was told today that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak received a gargantuan sum of RM2.973 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in his account without any commercial or business justifications.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi in his submissions said it was revealed by the money-laundering investigation officer, Supt Foo Wei Min, that the diversion of monies from 1MBD to Najib's Ambank account 9694 was done in three stages and ACP D.Rajagopal had already identified the first and second stages.
"A detailed money trail conducted on Najib's account found that the movement of monies from Good Star involving US$120 million (RM369,029,514) in five transactions between 2011 and 2012, Aabar stage US$170 million (RM523,389,779.96) through six transactions between 2011 and 2012 and the Tanore stage involving US$681 million (RM2,081,476,926) being transferred through two transactions in 2013.
"Applying the first-in, first-out financial valuation method on Najib's Ambank account, the money trail shows that of the total RM2,973,896,219.96 received by Najib in account 9694, RM2,034,350,000 was returned to Tanore's account.
The balance monies of RM939,546,219.96 in account 9694 was transferred to be spent by the former PM in four broad categories," he said at the hearing of the prosecution’s application for forfeiture of RM114,164,393.44 and jewellery seized from a premises owned by Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd before Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin.
The prosecution filed the forfeiture application against Obyu Holdings to forfeit the items including 11,991 units of jewellery, 401 watches and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of eyewear and 306 handbags, as well as cash in various denominations amounting to RM114,164,393.44.
The money and jewellery were seized by the authorities for allegedly being linked to the 1MDB fund scandal.
Najib and UMNO are third parties in the application.
Muhammad Saifuddin said in the case of UMNO, their claim of the seized cash being political donations is at best, disingenuous for it is most bewildering for one who has vehemently denied having any knowledge or connection with the monies to now stake a claim as its true master.
"The feeble claim advanced by Najib and UMNO that the seized cash is political donations pales in comparison with the weight of evidence which suggests otherwise. No amount of finesse could whitewash the trace of wrongdoings stemming from the cash seized,” he said.
Counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah represented Najib while lawyer Datuk Hariharan Tara Singh appeared for UMNO.
The court adjourned the case to March 11 and 15 to hear the submissions from Muhammad Shafee and Hariharan.
