RM60.6 million credited into Najib's personal account in 2011 - Bank officer

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was today told that RM60.6 million was credited in two transactions into former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's personal account at AmIslamic Bank in 2011.

Ambank (M) Berhad Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi, 43, said that based on a statement of an account that ended with the number 694, a credit of RM30,449,929.97 was made into the former prime minister's account on Feb 24 and RM30,179,909.46 on June 14, 2011.

"I confirm that this document (account statement) of AmIslamic Bank Berhad in the name of Najib was printed from a computer belonging to AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan Branch," she said.

Uma Devi was reading out her witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam in the Pekan MP's trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Referring to the form on the opening of a personal account under Najib's name on Jan 13, 2011, the 37th prosecution witness said only Najib was the sole signatory of cheques issued and do business for the account.

"This account (ending 694) was opened with a deposit of RM500 only. The legal signatory for this personal account is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak himself for the cheques. This means, only he (Najib) can sign cheques and do business through this account," she said.

She said that in 2013, Najib submitted a letter, dated Aug 26, 2013, to the bank's branch manager to close his current and savings accounts (ending with numbers 694 and 481, respectively) and instructed the bank to transfer the money in the accounts amounting to RM150 million to his other accounts, which is the AmPrivate Banking-1MY.

Uma Devi said the letter also stated that all the unused cheques would be returned to the bank and that he (Najib) would not issue any cheque from the account after it was closed.

"Another instruction in the letter was to debit the remaining amount from those accounts for the issuance of bank draft in the name of AmPrivate Banking-1MY," she said, adding that an attachment enclosed with the letter was a money transfer slip that had been processed by the bank as instructed in the letter.

"Based on the (money transfer) slip, RM12,436,711.87 was transferred to the AmPrivate Banking-1MY account on Aug 30, 2013, whereby the account (AmPrivate Banking) belongs to Datuk Seri Najib, which was opened at the Jalan Raja Chulan branch on July 31, 2013," she added.

Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues this Monday.

-- BERNAMA