Najib told me to focus on 1MDB-PSI deal, not past transactions - Former 1MDB chairman

KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh told the High Court here today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak told him via phone to not spend too much time looking at past transactions and to just focus on a proposed joint venture (JV) between the sovereign wealth fund and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI).

Mohd Bakke, 68, said the message was conveyed to him by Najib himself after the former prime minister was done speaking to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low via phone during a board meeting.

The 13th prosecution witness said this when cross-examined by Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in the trial of Najib and former 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy for alleged tampering of the 1MDB final audit report.

The witness was referring to a 1MDB board meeting he and Jho Low attended on Sept 26, 2009, whereby Jho Low was alleged to have received a telephone call from Najib.

Mohd Bakke said that despite his concerns over several issues linked to 1MDB such as the US$700 million alleged embezzlement matter, Najib had told him to not spend too much time on past transactions.

"Najib told me not to spend too much time looking at past transactions and just look at the proposed JV as the matter has been under discussion for some time, and that we needed to make a decision as soon as possible," he said.

Mohd Bakke pointed out that due to the words from Najib, he then felt comforted enough to relay this to the other members of the board to proceed with the JV.

To another question, the witness agreed that Jho Low had total control of 1MDB's management as it (management) took instructions from him although Jho Low had no official position in the company.

To a question on how he formed the impression that Jho Low was representing Najib, Mohd Bakke said it was not just an impression as he had met Jho Low at Najib's office when he was minister of defence and when he was deputy prime minister, in his Putrajaya office.

At the end of today's proceedings, Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who was presiding over the trial, said he felt like he was "sitting in Justice Collin's Court" due to the style of Muhammad Shafee's cross-examination of the witness which touched on issues linked more to the 1MDB bribery case rather than the 1MDB audit report case.

Justice Mohamed Zaini was referring to High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is presiding over Najib's RM2.3 billion 1MDB corruption trial.

To this, Muhammad Shafee said the phone call issue was raised by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram during the last proceeding and the defence was entitled to query the witness on the matter.

Najib, 68, is charged with using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him, while Arul Kanda, 45, is charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report, to protect Najib from being subjected to action.

The offences were allegedly committed at the Prime Minister's Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Federal Territory of Putrajaya between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.

Both of them were charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The trial continues on April 12.

-- BERNAMA