KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — More than RM2.08 billion had entered former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal account at AmIslamic bank in just nine transactions within a space of just 20 days in 2013, a bank officer told the High Court today.

AmIslamic bank's Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi also confirmed that a total of RM2.5 billion had flowed out from this same account belonging to Najib in just slightly over four months in 2013.

Testifying as the 37th prosecution witness in Najib's trial over the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds, Uma Devi also said Najib is the person who is fully responsible for the billions of ringgit that flowed in and out of his personal bank accounts.

How the RM2.08 billion came in

Based on the bank statement dated April 14, 2013 for Najib’s AmIslamic account 211-202-200969-4 (or account number ending 9694), Uma Devi confirmed that a total of RM2,081,476,926 entered the account within those 20 days.

These were from nine transactions into Najib’s account, namely three transactions of RM155 million each on just March 22, 2013; RM188,001,963.02 or over RM188 million on March 26, 2013; followed by RM231.15 million and RM138,824,962.98 both on March 28, 2013; RM152.5 million on April 8, 2013; RM304 million on April 9, 2013; and a RM602 million on April 10, 2013.

Altogether, this would come out to over RM2.08 billion verified as having made its way to Najib’s bank account in 2013.

Uma Devi had also earlier confirmed that this same personal account belonging to Najib had received RM 60,629,839.43 or over RM60.6 million via two transactions in February and June 2011; and that it had also received RM90,899,927.28 or over RM90 million via two transactions in October and November 2012.

If these verified transactions of money coming into Najib’s account from the years 2011 to 2013 are added up, it would come up to RM2,233,006,692.71 or over RM2.2 billion.

Separately, Uma Devi also confirmed that funds totalling RM49,930,985.70 or over RM49 million had entered Najib’s other AmIslamic bank account (211-202-201188-0 or ending 1880) via six transactions in June, October, November and December 2014.

The prosecution had previously said that money from 1MDB was misappropriated in four separate phases and that this had resulted in over RM2.28 billion being sent to Najib’s accounts.

The four phases are allegedly related to the four abuse of power charges that Najib is facing under an anti-corruption law in this 1MDB trial.

On the first day of trial, the prosecution had said it would show that 1MDB funds had been transferred in multiple transactions to Najib’s accounts, namely US$20 million equivalent to RM60,629,839.43 or over RM60 million from the first phase, US$30 million equivalent to RM90,899,927.28 or over RM90 million (second phase), US$681 million equivalent to RM2,081,476,926 or over RM2 billion (third phase), and transactions in British pound that were equivalent to RM4,093,500 and RM45,837,485.70 or a combined total of RM49,930,985.70 million or over RM49 million (fourth phase).

While Uma Devi did not state the source of the funds that entered Najib’s 9694 account, the figures which she verified to match the amounts stated by the prosecution for the four phases of the alleged 1MDB scheme.

How RM2.5b went out from Najib's 9694 account

Based on an April 14, 2013 bank statement, Uma Devi also confirmed 37 transactions totalling RM2,525,025,713.87, where RM2.5 billion of money was moved out of Najib’s 9694 account in just over four months from April 23 to August 30, 2013.

The RM2.5 billion sum includes RM22.649 million given out in five cheques issued from August 1 to August 7, 2013 and banked in just over two weeks from August 2 to August 14, 2013 (RM20 million to Umno, RM100,000 to Batu Kawan Umno, RM246,000 to Lim Soon Peng, RM2 million to Orb Solutions Sdn Bhd, RM303,000 to Semarak Konsortium Satu Sdn Bhd).

Beyond the five cheques that were given out, the RM2.5 billion transferred out of Najib’s 9694 account also includes RM2,034,350,000 or RM2.034 billion transferred out in just five transactions over a three-week period from August 2, 2013 to August 23, 2013, but with the recipients not stated by Uma Devi today.

The RM2.5 billion sum also includes RM162,436,711.87 or over RM162 million that were shifted out of the 9694 account into another of Najib’s AmIslamic bank account (211-202-201188-0 or account number ending 1880).

This was via RM150 million transferred on August 27, 2013 from Najib’s 9694 account into the 1880 account, and RM12,436,711.87 transferred to the 1880 account on August 30, 2013 — that was also the same day the 9694 account was closed down on Najib’s instructions.

In the 1MDB trial, Najib is also facing 21 money laundering charges.

The prosecution had on the first day of trial said it would prove these money laundering charges against Najib by showing the transfer of RM2,034,350,000 from the 9694 account to Tanore Singapore, and through cheques signed by Najib totalling RM162,436,711.87 to pay four entities and one individual and through the transfer of RM162,436,711.87 to the 1880 account.

Apart from the RM2.5 billion that was moved out from Najib’s 9694 account in 2013, Uma Devi had verified that the same account had issued RM15,720,036.80 or over RM15.7 million via 72 cheques from March to December 2011, and RM47,711,026 or over RM47 million via 79 cheques from January to May 2012.

Cheque recipients of the RM47 million sum in 2012 include Kasitah Gaddam (RM100,000), Onn Hafiz Ghazi (RM200,000 via four transactions of RM50,000 each from March to May 2012), Selangor Umno Wanita (RM1.5 million), Skuad Sayang Parlimen Pekan (RM50,000), Selangor Barisan Nasional (RM400,000), Sarawak United People’s Party (RM500,000), Pahang Umno (RM760,000), Selangor MCA (RM1 million), Liberal Democratic Party (RM1 million), Johor Baru Umno (RM300,000), Kedah Umno (RM1 million), Hulu Selangor MP Service Centre (RM300,000), Datuk Hassan Malek (RM100,000).

The rest of the cheque recipients of money from Najib’s 9694 account include Pekan Umno Wanita (RM40,000), Pahang Umno (RM1 million), Selangor Puteri Umno (RM1 million) and Selangor BN Wanita (RM1 million). —

'Najib is the one responsible'

Asked by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, Uma Devi confirmed that Najib would be responsible for both his AmIslamic bank accounts ending 9694 and 1880.

“All the accounts that have been opened in the bank, the person fully responsible would be the account holder. So in this case, the account holder Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be fully responsible for all the transactions in the account,” Uma Devi said, adding that this is stated in the terms and conditions to open a bank account.

Asked if approval is required by the account holder for the issuance of cheques, Uma Devi said that for the case of Najib’s accounts where a mandate had been given to an authorised person, the bank would contact the person authorised by Najib to confirm the cheques.

Uma Devi explained that what was required was confirmation of the cheques and not the approval for the cheques’ issuance.

Shown the September 2011 and October 2011 credit card statements for two of Najib’s AmBank credit cards, Uma Devi confirmed that the bank statement for Najib’s 9694 account showed that RM98,013.63 and RM3,744.32 from this account were used to pay those credit card bills via auto debit. Those two credit cards were previously confirmed by former AmBank senior officer Yeoh Eng Leong as having a combined total spending limit of RM3 million.

Najib’s 1MDB trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes tomorrow, with Najib’s lawyers expected to begin cross-examining Uma Devi.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/09/26/1mdb-trial-rm208b-went-into-najibs-amislamic-account-within-20-days-in-2013-while-rm25b-went-out-within-four-months/30219