KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — A witness told the High Court today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak was genuinely “shocked” and upset after finding out someone had transferred RM42 million into his personal accounts through Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd (IPSB) between 2014 and 2015.
During cross-examination by Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, IPSB managing director Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman said he had visited Najib at the latter’s private residence on Jalan Langgak Duta shortly after being released from Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) custody in 2015.
According to Dr Shamsul, he explained that the only reason he had met with Najib after he was released from custody was to update the former prime minister on his arrest and wellbeing.
Shafee: When you went to see Datuk Seri Najib and told him your story, what was his reaction?
Dr Shamsul: He was shocked about somebody putting money into his account.
Shafee: He (Najib) didn’t know why?
Dr Shamsul: He said he didn’t know who put money in his account and why it was through (IPSB’s bank account) me.
Shafee: Could you describe the situation then?
Dr Shamsul: He was very upset. Without his knowledge, somebody putting money through another company. I didn’t discuss further.
Dr Shamsul is the 37th prosecution witness in Najib’s trial over RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds.
It was previously revealed in court that IPSB made cash transfers in three tranches of RM27 million and RM5 million on December 26, 2014 and RM10 million on February 10, 2015 into two AmPrivate Banking-MY accounts (2112022011-880 and 2112022011-906) belonging to Najib.
The three fund transfers were then recorded as “funds for CSR programmes”.
IPSB was the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.
When asked by Shafee to describe Najib’s reaction during their meeting over the matter, Dr Shamsul said Najib’s reaction was genuine.
“On that occasion also, he was genuine, he was shocked that money was transferred to his account. I told Datuk Seri Najib I didn’t know who the account was and I was told to transfer the money,” he said.
Dr Shamsul, who is also currently the Sungai Siput Umno Youth division chief, then affirmed that his conscience was clear when asked whether there was even the slightest hint of dishonesty on his part when IPSB’s account was used as a transit account to transfer the RM42 million into Najib’s personal accounts.
He then revealed that MACC investigators 'wanted to implicate a few people, including Najib' for the money that was transferred but remained firm in his stance.
"I made a pledge to tell the truth and that I believed the money was for CSR purposes.
“I was under oath, I had to tell the truth. They asked me to tell something else, but I didn’t want to,” he said after graftbusters kept reminding him that he faced the prospect of being charged with a criminal offence.
Later during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, Dr Shamsul said he was not instructed by Najib to lodge a police or MACC report over the matter.
Dr Shamsul also confirmed that Najib at that time was also Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) Board of Trustee chairman.
He previously confirmed that millions of ringgit entered into Ihsan Perdana’s account from September 2014 to April 2015 from sources that he had not known, including RM42 million that he was asked by YR1M officials to transfer to two accounts that he had not known then belonged to Najib.
Today marks the 20th day of Najib's trial on seven charges of criminal of breach of trust (CBT), abuse of position, and money-laundering over RM42 million funds belonging to SRC International.
The trial before High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali resumes on June 10.
