I Didn T Influence 1mdb Board With Phone Call Najib

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1MDB TRIAL | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak rubbished the prosecution’s contention that he used a telephone call to influence 1MDB to enter a joint venture with Petrosaudi International (PSI) in 2009.
The former finance minister told the High Court in Putrajaya this afternoon about his telephone conversation with the sovereign wealth fund’s then-chairperson Mohd Bakke Salleh during a board meeting on Sept 29 that year.
During today’s RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial against him, Najib reiterated his previous testimony about fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) calling him, before handing the smartphone to Bakke at the meeting.
“I did not influence his (Bakke) mind, only indicated that this (proposed joint venture between 1MDB and PSI) was a strategic initiative (between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia).
“The board members were not influenced by my telephone call, Bakke chaired (the meeting) and the other board members did not know about the telephone call.
“The telephone call did not influence the decision of the board (to enter the joint venture),” Najib replied during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib.
Former 1MDB board chairperson Mohd Bakke SallehThe accused disagreed with the DPP’s contention that he tried to influence the board’s decision to enter the joint venture.
“I did not want to instruct him (Bakke) or unduly influence him, I just wanted him to see it (joint venture as a strategic initiative),” Najib said, adding that it was incumbent on the board and management to do the due diligence on the proposed joint venture.
Following 1MDB entering the joint venture with PSI, around US$700 million was embezzled from 1MDB to offshore entity Good Star Limited, which is allegedly linked to Low.
Bakke previously testified that he suspected something was amiss over the US$700 million diversion and that Najib did not respond to his messages over his suspicion of wrongdoing at 1MDB.
Bakke also testified he later resigned as 1MDB chairperson in October 2009.
Najib assumes a lot of things, says prosecutor
Meanwhile, during today’s trial, Akram remarked that Najib seemed to assume a lot of things in relation to 1MDB during his premiership between 2009 and 2018.
The prosecutor pointed out that Najib’s testimony seemed riddled with assumptions such as that Low would brief the 1MDB board on prospective collaboration despite the fugitive having no official position in the fund.
Akram noted that another assumption Najib allegedly made was that the 1MDB board would make an informed decision after the then-premier had a telephone call with Bakke at the board meeting.
The DPP also pointed out that Najib assumed that Low acted on behalf of Arab royalty, one Prince Turki, in the discussion on the proposed 1MDB-PSI joint venture.
Akram: You never bothered to check.
Najib: It is not me, but up to the (1MDB) board to decide, they have people who can check, like (law firm) Wong and Partners, I cannot check everything.
Akram: Should not there have been more action from you other than asking Bakke to make a decision?
Najib: The board are comprised of members who are very professional, I had not thought the call would lead to anything detrimental to the interest of 1MDB and the country. Hence I wanted them (the board) to consider it, but due diligence should have been carried out.
The accused also agreed with Akram that he never lodged a police report over several 1MDB-linked documents that bore what looked like his signatures.
Najib claimed previously that multiple documentary evidence being relied on by the prosecution contained forged signatures.
At the end of proceedings this afternoon, Akram informed the court that the prosecution will close their cross-examination of Najib tomorrow.
Prima facie established by prosecution
On Oct 30 last year, the criminal court ordered Najib to enter his defence over four abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.27 billion from 1MDB.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah ruled that the prosecution succeeded in establishing a prima facie (answerable) case against Najib over the Minister of Finance Incorporated’s (MOF Inc) wholly owned company due to the strength of 50 witness testimonies.
The former prime minister was first charged in 2018 and the prosecution stage of the trial began in 2019, lasting six years.
Najib is serving a six-year jail sentence over a separate abuse of power case involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.
Lawyer Tania Scivetti acted for Najib. - Mkini

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