Due to 'protocol', ex-banker never dealt directly with Najib, court heard

KUALA LUMPUR: The former AmBank relationship manager who handled Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's accounts today told the High Court here that she had never dealt personally with the former prime minister regarding his accounts due to "protocol".

Joanna Yu Ging Ping, 51, said it was her own perception that she should not deal directly with him because he was the prime minister at the material time.

"He was the Prime Minister of Malaysia at the material time. He was a busy man. Usually, people like Mr Cheah Tek Kuang (former managing director of AmBank), and fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low would have met Najib and not people like us," she said.

The 41st prosecution witness said this when queried by Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at Najib's trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.

Muhammad Shafee: Who told you the frightening story that you cannot see PM (Najib)?

COURT-NAJIB (1MDB) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

Yu: Perhaps my own perception

Muhammad Shafee: Nobody told you this, right? Yu replied, "I don't think PM (Najib) would have time to meet me."

To another question, the witness also agreed that it was not unusual for a busy person like Najib to have a mandate holder.

Najib had appointed Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, the former chief investment officer of 1MDB, who is currently at large, as the mandate holder for his accounts.

Previously, the witness testified that she only dealt with Jho Low or Nik Faisal over Najib's accounts.

"In my experience, only Najib had appointed a mandate holder for his accounts, and it was the first time I had handled mandate holder's accounts," explained Yu.

To this, Muhammad Shafee said he himself had appointed two mandate holders for his accounts.

Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to get bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering.

The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Jan 27 next year.

-- BERNAMA