Najib himself gave Shahrir RM1 million cheque - MACC officer

KUALA LUMPUR: An investigating officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the High Court here today that her investigation revealed that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak himself gave the cheque of RM1 million to Tan Sri Shahrir Ab Samad in 2013.

MACC assistant superintendent Nurzahidah Yacop, 35, said the former prime minister was also the one who wrote and signed his AmIslamic Bank cheque before giving it to Shahrir when they were at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya on Nov 27, 2013.

Nurzahidah said the following day, there was a deposit of RM1 million in Shahrir's Public Bank account and several withdrawals were made from that account involving RM997,285 between Dec 2, 2013, and March 31, 2014.

"Of the total withdrawals, RM543,800 were used to implement the Puri Langkasuka Housing Rehabilitation (Seri Anugerah) Project in Larkin, Johor Bahru, and RM10,000 were for Taman Kebuh Teh UMNO branch.

"Apart from that, a total of RM443,485 were believed to have been withdrawn for his (Shahrir) personal use, including RM200,000 which were transferred into Public Bank fixed deposit accounts belonging to his wife Shahrizan Abdullah and daughter Marisa Diyana, RM115,000 were transferred into Shahrir's fixed deposit account at Maybank and another RM118,485 into the Sutera Auto Sdn Bhd's account," he said.

Nurzahidah said this when reading her witness statement at the trial of the former Johor Bahru Member of Parliament who was charged with failing to declare RM1 million which he received from Najib to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

On Aug 8, the 7th prosecution witness, Sutera Auto Sdn Bhd account executive, Rozana Khalid, 43, told the court that Shahrir bought a Honda Civic Hybrid car, worth RM118,485, and completed the payment using just one cheque, on Dec 21, 2013.

Meanwhile, Nurzahidah said the investigation also found that Shahrir had never declared receiving the fund even if it was deemed as his income.

She said it was confirmed by Shahrir's taxation information for the years 2013 to 2018 that there were no declarations of income exceeding RM1 million in Form BE submitted by the former Felda chairman.

Shahrir, 72, was charged with money laundering, by not stating his real income in the Income Tax Return Form for Assessment Year 2013, which is a violation of Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, on the RM1 million, believed to be from unlawful activities, which he received from Najib through a cheque.

He was charged with committing the offence at IRB, Duta Branch, Government Office Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim here on April 25, 2014.

The charge, framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, provides a maximum fine of RM5 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both if found guilty.

The trial, before Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA