BNM recommended three top officials be charged - Zeti
BERNAMA
August 15, 2023 20:24 MYT
Zeti said his request (to prosecute them) was made to the Attorney General (Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali) but no action was taken against the three individuals. - File photo/Bernama
BNM recommends three top officials be charged - Zeti
Zeti said his request (to prosecute them) was made to the Attorney General (Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali) but no action was taken against the three individuals. - File photo/Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz informed the High Court that the central bank had recommended three top officials of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) to be charged in connection with the scandal surrounding the company.
They are the then Chief Executive Officer of 1MDB Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, former 1MDB Chief Investment Officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and former 1MDB Executive Director Casey Tang Keng Chee.
Zeti, 76, said his request (to prosecute them) was made to the Attorney General (Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali) but no action was taken against the three individuals.
The 46th prosecution witness said this when questioned by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's main lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the trial of the former Prime Minister's case involving the embezzlement of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds.
Last month, Zeti testified that the investigation paper (IP) submitted by BNM to the Attorney General's Department (AGC) with the recommendation that criminal prosecution be initiated and some senior 1MDB officials were allegedly classified as no further action (NFA).
Zeti said that although all solid evidence had been collected and recorded by BNM in (IP) related to the 1MDB case, Mohamed Apandi, for unknown reasons on 11 Sept 2015, decided that the IP submitted by the central bank was classified as NFA.
When asked by Muhammad Shafee whether Zeti had witnessed any role played by Najib in the payment of US$1 billion to the joint venture company 1MDB-Petrosaudi to the wrong entity, he said the former Prime Minister's role was to submit guarantees to the Cabinet for approval.
"That is one of the reasons why BNM approved the payment. The 1MDB Board of Directors approved it, the Cabinet approved it. He (Najib) has guaranteed the investment. 1MDB as a company 100 percent owned by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), there is no reason for BNM not to approve it," he said.
Muhammad Shafee: You are not suggesting that Najib did it with bad intentions? Zeti replied "it turns out, such investments do not exist.
Muhammad Shafee: But who gave all the information about the investment to Najib?
Zeti: This is a company that is 100 percent owned by MOF.
The central bank governor also said since Najib holds an executive position as Chairman of the 1MDB Advisory Board (CBOA), he should know about the type of investment that should be made.
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 continues tomorrow.
