KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyer accused former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chief executive officer (CEO) Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman of being the real culprit behind the misappropriation of the company's funds.

Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah claimed that Hazem, who has been called as a prosecution witness, was the one who had committed various wrongdoings in the company.

Shafee was cross-examinig Hazem on the US$250 million financing that 1MDB obtained from Deutsche Bank as well as the USD$175 million transferred to Aabar Investments PJS Ltd, also known as the 'fake Aabar'.

The senior lawyer contended that the ex-1MDB CEO knew that the funds of USD$175 million were being misappropriated for the benefit of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low and his co conspirators, former chief financial officer (CFO) Azmi Tahir, 1MDB's former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, former 1MDB executive executive director Terrence Geh and others. 

Hazem disagreed to this.

Shafee: You provided fraudulent justification for the transfer of funds?

Hazem: I disagree.

Shafee: To execute P777A (Aabar options agreement), you committed two serious offences, one is criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of the Penal Code. Breach of trust by a director like you, what do you say to that?

Hazem: I disagree.

Shafee: You committed money laundering, not my client, by disguising proceeds of unlawful activity and remove the funds from Malaysia to a foreign entity.

Hazem: I disagree.

Shafee: You committed abuse of power as a CEO of 1MDB, you enabled and facilitated the misappropriation of USD$250 million for the sole benefit of Jho Low and the other conspirators?

Hazem: I disagree.

The 10th prosecution witness also disagreed with the lawyer's suggestion that he had aided and abetted Azmi and Geh to commit CBT.

Earlier, the court allowed Najib's request for a short adjournment of the trial to attend a critical meeting between the coalition's leaders to discuss the issue of appointment of the new Prime Minister.

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said he only allowed the request due to the peculiar circumstance on the country's current situation.

The trial continues tomorrow.

Najib, 68, is charged with 25 counts of abuse of power and money laundering involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds which were deposited into his accounts between 2011 and 2014.

He faces 20 years' jail and fine, if convicted. 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/08/719121/najib-should-not-be-dock-hazem-says-shafee