Najib, family holidayed on yachts at invitation by several princes - Witness

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today was told that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his family members had holidays on board several yachts in southern France, Greece and Italy waters from 2009 to 2013 at the invitation of the Princes of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

Former special officer to Najib, Datuk Wan Ahmad Shihab Wan Ismail, 48, said the information on the holiday destinations was informed by fugitive business Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.

The 16th prosecution witness said in August 2009, he was contacted by Jho low and was informed that Najib and his family would be having a holiday in southern France at the invitation of a Kuwaiti Prince and a his friend, Syeikh Hamed on board their yacht, RM Elegance.

Wan Ahmad Shihab said Jho Low also gave him the telephone number of a man named Mr Sahle to make the holiday arrangements.

He later confirmed the matter with Najib before contacting Mr Sahle to provide information on the holiday including the list of names of the group, holiday duration and all the requirements needed there.

"Joining the holiday were Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, her children Nor Ashman, Nooryana Najwa and Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz. Apart from that, some friends of Najib also joined including Tan Sri Bustari Yusuf and one of his children.

"The entire holiday entourage was about 20 people including bodyguards, maids and household staff," he said when reading out his witness statement during an examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib.

When relating further on the holiday in southern France, Wan Ahmad Shihab said on the second or third day of sailing, Najib informed him that a Saudi Prince in another yacht nearby is inviting Najib and his family for an evening drink on board his boat.

"I later informed Mr. Sahle to provide a small boat (tender) for us to go to the Saudi Prince's yacht. As far as I remember the Saudi Prince was Prince Turki.

"On arrival at the yacht, we were greeted by Prince Turki and a man who identified himself as Tarek Obaid," he said and added that he did not know the purpose of the meeting and when he entered the reception of the boat, he found Jho Low was with them.

Relating on the second holiday in the waters of Greece, and Italy in the middle of 2010, Wan Ahmad Shihab said Jho Low told him that a Saudi Prince had invited Najib and his family for a vacation on his boat before giving the telephone number of the boat captain Mitch Hitch.

"The group was participated by 17 people including Najib, Rosmah, Riza Shahriz, Nooryana Najwa, Nor Ashman, myself, escort officers and household staff as well as a friend of Najib. Upon arrival in Athens, Greece, we were received by Mike Hitch and were brought to the Golden Odyssey yacht.

"Upon arrival on the boat, I found Tan Sri Bustari and several acquaintances of Najib in the boat. They were present as members of the holiday entourage but they took commercial flight by themselves and arrived on their own one day earlier," he said.

On the holiday, the witness said on the fifth day of sailing on Golden Odyssey, he was contacted by a woman, Natasha who was a friend of Rosmah via SMS and asked on the whereabouts of the boat and if they had arrived in Rome as she was bringing several guests to meet Rosmah.

"I told Natasha via email the location of the yacht would be anchoring in Rome and I gave the number to Mitch Hitch for him to contact directly. A day later after the boat anchored in Rome, I saw Natasha on the boat with Rosmah.

"I did not pay any attention on her as I did not interfere in Rosmah's matters. At the end of the visit, I returned to Malaysia earlier by a commercial flight from Cote D'azur Airport, Nice, France as I had some my personal matters to attend to," he said.

On the holiday in 2013, Wan Ahmad Shihab said Najib and his family were invited for a vacation in southern France on board the Topaz owned by Sheikh Mansour, a Prince from Abu Dhabi, and also seen were Mohamed Badawy Al-Husseiny, a director of Aabar Investments PJS with Robert Baker, a professional golf trainer.

Wan Ahmad Shihab said that night a man named Robert Shepherd announced that he was preparing to receive Riza Aziz at the Topaz and when Riza Aziz arrived on the Topaz, he found Jho Low and Joey McFarland (producer of Wolf Of Wall Street) were with Riza Aziz.

"I did not know the purpose of Jho Low and Joey McFarland's presence but I assumed their presence was to holiday together. When Jho Low and Joey McFarland were on board the boat, I always see them together and heard their conversation was focused on making a Hollywood movie," he said.

Wan Ahmad Shihab said there were no payment for accommodation on the three vacations as Najib and family were holidaying on invitation.

Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA