A prosecution witness today agreed with prosecutors in the Najib Razak 1MDB trial that US$681 or RM2.28 billion flowed into the former prime minister’s private bank accounts at AmBank from 2011 and 2014.

These funds, the prosecution said by showing flowcharts, originated from the various loans and bonds raised by 1MDB. Najib has so far maintained that the funds found in his accounts were donations from Arab royalty.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 80: House of cards

Azmi Tahir, the former 1MDB Chief Financial Officer, told the court today that he had not carried out any due diligence on entities that received monies from 1MDB. 

He said he did not investigate Azmi the companies because there was no instruction from the top.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 81: Following blindly

A witness in the 1MDB trial told the court that funds auditor KMPG had insisted on meeting with Najib Razak with regards to its US$2.3 billion investment before signing off on its 2013 financial statement.

Instead of taking the request to the prime ministers office, former 1MDB chief financial officer Azmi Tahir told the court that he informed businessman Low Teak Jho, better known as Jho Low, about KMPG’s request.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 82: Where is the money?

KPMG Malaysia's managing partner, Johan Idris today told the court that he was under the impression that former prime minister Najib Razak was ordering him to sign off on 1MDB's 2013 financial statement. 

He said that Najib had made the request during a meeting with KPMG officials at his residence on December 15, 2013. 

The auditors did not do so and were subsequently fired.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 83: Do as you’re told

Ex 1MDB chairman Mohd Bakke Salleh told the High Court today that he felt uneasy after suspecting ex-prime minister Najib Razak had a hand in shady deals involving the sovereign wealth fund.

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The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 84: 'Shady' deals

KPMG Malaysia’s managing partner Johan Idris testified at Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial today that he felt “intimidated” by the former prime minister during a meeting. 

He said this when asked by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram during cross-examination about a meeting at Najib’s residence on Jalan Duta on December 15, 2013.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 85: An intimidating order

Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chairman Mohd Bakke Salleh told the High Court today that parts of his testimony to the Public Accounts Committee was omitted. 

The 68-year old corporate figure, who is now the Petronas chairman, said that a lot of what he had mentioned during the PAC proceedings into the 1MDB fiasco was not included.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 86: Omissions

Mohd Bakke Salleh told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he was told to be more accommodating when giving testimony about  1Malaysia Development Berhad to the Public Accounts Committee in 2015.

The former 1MDB chairman said he was told not to mention the names of former prime minister Najib Razak or businessman Low Taek Jho in his testimony.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 87: Don’t say my name

Former 1MDB adviser Mohd Sidek Hassan told the High Court this morning that the Finance Ministry-owned company had never sat for a single meeting throughout the years he served as a board member.

Sidek also informed the court that he received a monthly salary of RM30,000 for two years from 2010 to 2012 before the amount was reduced to RM10,000 from 2013 to 2015 after he retired as Chief Secretary to the government.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 88: Money for nothing

Former 1MDB adviser Mohd Sidek Hassan told the court today his monthly salary of RM29,125 as then chief secretary to the government was insufficient and was the reason why Najib Razak appointed him to the advisory board. 

Sidek said he believed that Najib, out of the goodness of his heart, had given him a role in 1MDB with a salary of RM30,000.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 89:  Out of goodness of my heart

Former Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance Siti Zauyah Mohd Desa told the court the government has to pay a US$3 billion loan taken by a subsidiary 1MDB.

Siti Zauyah testified that the loan was sanctioned by the then Barisan Nasional government under Najib Razak, who was the prime minister and finance minister when he signed off the letter of support in 2013.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP91: A legacy of debts

AmBank's SWIFT unit manager Wedani Senen today told the court that close to US$670 million was transferred to Najib Razak's personal bank account in a span of three years from an individual and two different companies. 

That entire amount was only from five transactions from a total of 12 that were channeled into two different accounts belonging to the former prime minister.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP92: Million dollar man

A total of US$61 million and £9.46 million was transferred into former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s private account in AmBank between 2013 and 2014, a senior bank official told the court today.

Wedani Senen, AmBank’s Swift unit manager said that all the funds were channelled through seven  transactions to two accounts ending with numbers 880 and 694 belonging to the Pekan lawmaker.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 93: Free money

Deutsche Bank Malaysia Bhd (DBMB) was pressured to accelerate a US$1 billion remittance order to meet former prime minister Najib Razak’s deadline, a banker told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

Jacqueline Ho Yek Wan, the former managing director at DBMB, said Casey Tang, the former executive director of 1MDB, had told her that the remittance had to be done by 4pm on September 30, 2009.

She was informed that the matter was important as it was part of a government-to-government deal that Najib was going to announce in a press conference.

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The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 94: Bossku’s way or the highway

Former finance minister II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he was merely "menurut perintah" or following orders when he signed documents relating to 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Husni said all documents relating to 1MDB and its subsidiary SRC International had gone through then finance minister Najib Razak before landing on his desk.

His testimony was marked with heated exchanges, just like the last time he testified and was questioned by Najib's lawyers.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 95: I, who obey orders

Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azrol Ibrahim took orders directly from former Prime Minister Najib Razak when the sovereign wealth fund lost US$700 million, former finance minister II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

1MDB had taken a US$1 billion loan from Deutsche Bank to obtain a 40% share in the 1MDB-Petrosaudi joint venture project.

However, US$300 million was remitted to the JV company, while US$700 million went to Good Star, a company controlled by Low Taek Jho at RBS Coutts Bank.

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The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 96: Chain of command

Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial resumed this morning at the Kuala Lumpur High Court after a break to allow him to attend his final appeal in the SRC case.

His appeal failed on Tuesday and he was sent to jail.

What should have been just another day, was anything but, as Najib, who used to arrive with a posse of supporters was instead driven into the court basement in a Kajang Prison vehicle under heavy police escort. – August 25, 2022.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 97: How the mighty has fallen

Prisoner Najib Razak turned up for his 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case at the High Court today despite an overnight stay in hospital. 

The prosecution's 26th witness, Siti Zauyah Mohd Desa told the court that as the company's former deputy secretary, chairman Mohd Bakke' Salleh's resignation as 1MDB chairman was not recorded in the company's meeting minutes.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 98: Prison Blues

Najib Razak turned up for his 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case at the High Court today from the Kajang Prison looking healthy, days after it was reported that the convicted politician had suffered a stomach illness.

The prosecution's 35th witness, Yeoh Eng Leong told the court this afternoon that the former prime minister had two credit cards with a limit of RM3 million each.

Yeoh, the former vice president in the credit card department at Ambank, divulged that the credit limit given to Najib was among the highest at the bank.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 99: Big spender

Najib Razak may be a prisoner of the state, but speculation continues over his appeal for both a pardon and a review of the Federal Court decision that imprisoned him two weeks ago. 

While that goes on, a well dressed Najib turned up for his 1MDB case at the High Court today from the Kajang Prison - without handcuffs but with a phalanx of prison guards.

He was there as the prosecution's 36th witness, Badrul Hisyam Mohamad testified that the former prime minister had issued 38 cheques worth RM8.4 million between 2011 to 2012 to several entities, individuals and political parties.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 100: Cheques galore

On social media, Najib Razak has thousands of fans but in jail, he only has one. 

Far from the comforts of a prime minister, he is now in a Kajang prison cell eating the same food as other prisoners and has to take cold showers - according to Prisons Department sources. 

Be that as it may, Najib was present today at the Kuala Lumpur High Court in a well dressed suit, but unlike other prisoners, Najib was not handcuffed as he was not deemed as a "dangerous criminal".

The prosecution's 37th witness, R Uma Devi told the High Court of Kuala Lumpur this afternoon that the former prime minister once appointed former chief executive officer for SRC International, Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, as the authorised person with access to his personal bank accounts.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 101: Authorised personnel only

Prisoner Najib Razak had a short day in court today before going for a medical check up, but not before Ambank Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi testified that Najib minted more than RM1.25 million in interest payments from Tye bank from funds in one of his five personal bank accounts. 

On the witness stand, Uma confirmed that several interest payments totalling RM1,253,924.80 were made in 2011 to Najib’s private AmBank account ending with 694.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 102: Millionaire by interest

Najib Razak was back in court after a one week stay in hospital rather than the prison over an undisclosed health problem.

The disgraced former prime minister, dressed in a blue suit, was escorted to court by Kajang Prison officials. He looked to be in good spirits despite spending the last week at Kuala Lumpur Hospital and the Cheras Rehabilitation Centre.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 103:  No special treatment

A former treasury official told the High Court today that a letter of support issued by the government to enable 1MDB Global Investment Ltd to secure a US$3 billion bond was done in haste.

Testifying against jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, Siti Zauyah Mohd Desa said that in her 25 years’ experience with the finance ministry, the letter of support was an abnormal transaction that she had to take on.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 104:  What Najib wants, Najib gets

AmBank Raja Chulan branch manager Uma Devi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that no red flags were raised when US$620 million was remitted from jailed prime minister Najib Razak’s AmBank account in August 2013.

She said where remittance is concerned it is usually up to the customer to get approval from Bank Negara Malaysia.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 105:  Going, going, gone

Former prime minister Najib Razak allegedly received a total of US$1.17 (RM544) billion from an Arab donor in two separate transactions in 2011 and 2013, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today. 

Ambank capital market head Yap Wai Keat was verifying two transactions of US$800 million and US$375 million that was deposited into the now convicted Najib’s account.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 106: Billion dollar gift

Prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told Najib Razak’s lawyers today to argue his 1Malaysia Development Berhad case in court instead of the media.

Sri Ram told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that lead defence lawyer Mohamed Shafee Abdullah had misled the media by claiming that the prosecution had failed to disclose evidence in the convicted politician's trial.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 107: Argue 1MDB in court, not media

An Ex-AmBank group managing director told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he did not dare ask why Najib Razak was about to receive a US$100 million (RM465 million) donation from Saudi Arabia in 2011.  

Cheah Tek Kuang, who is the 39th trial witness, said this when he was questioned by lead defence counsel Mohammed Shafee Abdullah on his visit to the former prime minister’s home to assist in opening an Ambank account for the now convicted felon.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 108: Banker feared quizzing Najib

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah today ticked off Najib Razak's lawyers over their attempts to postpone cross-examination of witnesses in the ongoing 1Malaysia Development Berhad trial.

The stern warning from the judge came after defence lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed asked Sequerah’s permission to delay the cross-examination of 40th prosecution witness Kok Tuck Cheong as lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was handling another court case at the High Court.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 109: Do it yourself

The Najib Razak trial heard today that  businessman Low Taek Jho had approached Ambank in 2009 for a RM10 billion bond issuance with a 30-year tenure for a sovereign wealth fund to develop Terengganu but which later became 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). 

Joanna Yu, a former relationship manager at Ambank, testified at the Kuala Lumpur High Court that the bank held a meeting with Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) officials to discuss the issuance of the bond.

The Najib Razak 1MDB Trial EP 110: RM10bil bond issuance

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