Name dropped from lawsuit not to incriminate Najib - Witness

KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief financial officer Azmi Tahir told the High Court here today that he disagreed his name had been dropped from the government's lawsuit in order for him to incriminate former prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in court.

Azmi, 49, agreed that those who were in the witness list that the prosecution planned to call for the trial, appeared to have been removed from the list of defendants in 1MDB's lawsuit later, while others such as 1MDB's former CFO Radhi Mohamad were being sued.

He said this under cross-examination by Najib's counsel, Datuk Hariharan Tara Singh at the former premier's trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.

Hariharan: Now, do you agree that the people who are not called as witnesses, their names remain as defendants in the suit?

Azmi: It looks that way.

In August 2021, it was reported that 1MDB had dropped the civil action against Azmi and six other defendants.

The 12th prosecution witness also said he only read in the media that 1MDB had filed a suit against him and various individuals last year and he was never served with a copy of the lawsuit.

He further said that there were no criminal charges levelled against him and he also did not know why he was not charged in relation to the financial scandal.

Hariharan: Despite you being the co-signatory and director of a subsidiary of 1MDB, you were in charge of raising funds, and yet no charges were made against you?

Azmi: I do not know why there were no criminal charges against me.

Hariharan: There were criminal charges against your deputy Terence Geh, Jasmine Loo (1MDB's lawyer) and Low Taek Jho, but as CFO you were not charged.

Azmi: Again, I don't know why some people were not charged, my CEO was not charged, my board was also not charged, and why some people were charged but I was not charged.

To another question, the witness agreed that he had never taken any direct instruction from Najib, 69, as the accused was not part of 1MDB's management nor its board of directors.

The Pekan MP is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling 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.

-- BERNAMA