Banker confirms Ambank paid RM2.83 bln to M'sian govt over 1MDB scandal

KUALA LUMPUR: A banker today told the High Court here that AmBank had paid a RM2.83 billion settlement to the government of Malaysia over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

Jalan Raja Chulan AmBank (M) Berhad branch manager, R. Uma Devi, 43, who confirmed the matter, however, said, she did not know if the settlement involved Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

She said this during cross-examination by the former premier's counsel, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, at Najib's corruption and money laundering trial involving RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB.

Wan Aizuddin: Were you aware of the settlement arrangement between AmBank and the government of Malaysia pertaining to the entire episode?

Uma: Yes, actually I heard about it. We were informed, but the details were not so much. We knew that there was a settlement made by AmBank.

"We were just told that the bank had actually made a settlement with the government in regards to not being implicated in any of the 1MDB issues. That's all I know," she added.

To a question by Wan Aizuddin whether the settlement was purely limited to 1MDB and had nothing to do with Najib's accounts, the 37th prosecution witness replied, "This one, I'm not sure."

Previously, the Ministry of Finance announced that the bank had agreed to pay RM2.83 billion to the Malaysian government as a global settlement on all outstanding claims and actions in relation to the AmBank Group's involvement in the 1MDB matter.

During today's proceeding, the banker also testified that in July 2015, Bank Negara Malaysia conducted a raid on the branch (AmBank, Jalan Raja Chulan) and requested a list of documents including Najib's bank accounts.

Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA