No official denial on donation from Saudi royals, says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told the High Court here today that neither the Saudi Arabian Royal Household nor its government has ever issued an official statement to refute that the funds he received in his AmIslamic account were a donation.

He said despite the intense scrutiny surrounding the funds and allegations questioning their legitimacy, there had been no official statement, neither from the Royal Household nor from the Saudi government, denying that the funds were a donation from His Majesty King Abdullah.

"This absence of denial, even in the face of such high-profile allegations, supports my genuine belief that the funds were legitimate donations. It is consistent with how governments or monarchies typically respond when claims are unfounded," he said.

Najib said there had been instances where Saudi Arabia issued official statements to address and refute claims, citing a notable example that occurred in September 2021, when classified documents related to the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were released.

The former premier said that in response to documents being released and ongoing allegations of Saudi involvement in the attacks, the Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C, United States, issued a clear and direct statement reiterating that the Saudi government or its officials were in no way involved in the attack.

"This example demonstrates that when significant accusations arise, Saudi Arabia takes formal steps to address them publicly and unequivocally.

"In my case, this absence of a denial is significant as it aligns with the established norms of monarchies to address unfounded claims and further supports my genuine belief that the funds were legitimate donations," he said.

The 71-year-old politician is taking the stand to defend himself against four charges of using his position to obtain RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds in bribes and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

To a question by his lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Najib said even during his private meeting in 2017 with the current Saudi ruler King Salman, who is King Abdullah's half-brother, there was no mention of the donation.

“King Salman did not raise anything on the donation by King Abdullah. I even sat in a car and took a selfie with him, it was unprecedented. He could have (mentioned the donation if he was displeased), but he did not.

"King Salman, who is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques even went to the extent of allowing me to enter inside the Kaabah and Prophet Muhammad Pbuh's tomb. If he was displeased with me, he wouldn't visit Malaysia and wouldn't let Aramco, the Saudi Arabian oil company, invest billions in Pengerang, Johor," he added.

Najib said King Salman's action indicated that he is very pleased with Malaysia and his visit to this country is a huge acknowledgement of the strong ties Malaysia has with the Saudi Arabian government.

"In 2016, my belief was further validated by none other than the then Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubair, who publicly confirmed that the funds were a donation from Saudi Arabia. What else could I have reasonably done to verify this further?

"To this day, no one officially mandated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has refuted these facts and I relied on all these elements in good faith," Najib reiterated.

On Oct 30, Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered Najib to enter his defence on all 25 charges, ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him at the end of its case.

The trial continues on Jan 6, 2025.

-- BERNAMA

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