'Najib asked me to clear his name regarding RM2.6 billion in his personal account' - Zeti

'Najib asked me to clear his name regarding RM2.6 billion in his personal account'

BERNAMA

Julai 27, 2023 20:21 MYT
Zeti said, however, he refused to comply with Najib's request because he had no knowledge of the former prime minister's bank account. - Image file

'Najib asked me to clear his name regarding RM2.6 billion in his personal account' - Zeti

Zeti said, however, She refused to comply with Najib's request because he had no knowledge of the former prime minister's bank account. - Image file

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz told the High Court today that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had asked her to clear his name in relation to RM2.6 billion in his personal bank account.

However, Zeti said she refused to comply with Najib's request because she had no knowledge of the former prime minister's bank account.

"I was called to the Prime Minister's Office. He (Najib) asked me to issue a statement that he did not do anything wrong in relation to his bank account.

"I informed him that I could not issue such a statement because I had no knowledge of the transactions that had taken place in his account. He accepted my decision," said Zeti, the 46th prosecution witness, at the trial of Najib who faces charges of embezzling RM2.3 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund.

The former governor said shortly after the meeting, she received a call from a minister who made the same request for him to issue such a statement and she gave the same answer.

Zeti, 76, who was BNM governor for 16 years since 2000, told the court that she did not know about the RM2.6 billion that was deposited into Najib's personal bank account at that time.

"Regarding the allegations made by Najib during his interview with Malaysiakini which was broadcast on 2 July 2018, where he claimed that I knew about the RM2.6 billion in his account at AmIslamic Bank Berhad and that I did not raise any questions about it, I would like to state with It is clear that I was not aware of the transactions made in his account at that time," he said.

Zeti explained that all account holders in the financial system are protected by banking secrecy provisions in legislation, hence, no one can access any account unless the financial institution concerned detects suspicious activity in the account and reports it to the central bank.

He said the allegations made by Najib were false because at the time, she did not know that the sum of RM2.6 billion had been deposited into the former finance minister's account and that the funds belonged to 1MDB.

Zeti, who served the central bank for 35 years, said the main concern at the time was that AmBank did not report to BNM about more than 500 suspicious or irregular transactions related to the account as required under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).

"Following the investigation, AmBank admitted about this lack of disclosure, false reports and its failure to comply with prudential rules.

"AmBank paid the highest penalty in our history amounting to RM59 million and was also required to allocate at least RM100 million for remedial actions to strengthen its internal systems for compliance to prevent money laundering/prevent terrorism financing," he said.

Meanwhile, when asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, Zeti told the court that no one in her family had ever taken 1MDB money.

Ahmad Akram: From all these transactions, did you or your family members receive any benefits from 1MDB?

Zeti: None of my family members received or took 1MDB money, not even a cent.

Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continued on August 14.