KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — A witness today declared in court that he has no need to fear repercussions from testifying against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as he is telling the truth.
1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) former CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi also confirmed that he was not under threat to testify in Najib's corruption trial over 1MDB funds.
When questioned by Najib's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Shahrol confirmed that he was aware that nobody can threaten him to make him say certain things in court, also affirming that he knew it would be a serious offence to not tell the truth in court.
Shahrol also confirmed that the Malaysian authorities had not seized any of his assets or cash and that no civil forfeiture suit had been launched against his properties or bank account and there was no such threat.
Shafee: Did someone in MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) threaten you with civil suit for negligence and mismanagement of 1MDB?
Shahrol: No.
When asked if there were any other threats against him over 1MDB, Shahrol said a 1MDB director had in late 2018 told him of the Finance Ministry's purported plans to launch a civil lawsuit against 1MDB's board and management, but said he did not hear anything further on this from any official sources.
When asked to confirm that no such action had been taken since then, Shahrol said "not yet", candidly saying that one could "never know".
Shafee then pressed Shahrol on whether he was concerned that the way he testified in court would determine if action is taken against him over 1MDB.
Shafee: Are you worried the way you answer in court in relation to action being taken? Are you worried if you answer the truth, the authority could take action against you?
Shahrol: Actually on the contrary, I'm not worried because I'm telling the truth.
Previously, Shahrol had told the court of Najib's role in signing off on crucial approvals required for the Finance Ministry-owned 1MDB's deals and purported "investments", also telling of how millions in US dollar were diverted to Good Star Limited which he did not know then was controlled by Low.
Shahrol had also spoken of Low's close ties with Najib, and also how he had believed Low's instructions on 1MDB deals and transactions to have been approved or conveyed as Najib's directions.
On the first day of Najib's trial, the prosecution had said it would produce evidence to show that 1MDB money had flowed through Good Star Limited before eventually reaching Najib.
Najib's ongoing 1MDB trial involves 25 criminal charges — four counts of abusing his position for his own financial benefit totalling almost RM2.3 billion allegedly originating from 1MDB and the resulting 21 counts of money-laundering.
Brief account freeze, travel ban
Shahrol confirmed that his sole local bank account in Maybank was briefly frozen for about two weeks in May or June 2018, adding that he had discovered the freeze on his account when his attempt to use it to pay bills online was declined and he was directed by the bank to check with MACC.
He said he was verbally told that the account was frozen on the instructions of a taskforce probing 1MDB, but said the freeze was lifted days after his written request to the authorities.
Shahrol also confirmed that he had given a full declaration of all his assets to the authorities and that not many questions were asked, adding that he did not have any overseas properties or assets other than a RM1 million investment in a US dollar-denominated Singapore unit trust.
When questioned by Shafee about an allegation that funds from Low had been transferred to shell companies beneficially owned by Shahrol, Shahrol refuted such a suggestion.
“I do not have and never had any shell companies or otherwise that I am a beneficiary owner of,” Shahrol replied, later affirming: “No I don’t have any shell companies.”
Shahrol also confirmed that the Immigration Department has put him on a travel blacklist to stop him from travelling overseas since June 2018, adding that he had discovered this on his own after checking the Immigration Department’s online database.
Shahrol said he assumed the travel ban was due to him being part of 1MDB’s directors and senior management and that it was related to the 1MDB case.
“It’s to avoid people with information relating to this case from disappearing, I suppose,” he suggested.
When asked if it was because he was considered a flight risk, Shahrol said: “I have no idea what they regard me as. I don’t draw any other conclusions other than it’s related to this case and I should stick around.”
Currently unemployed after his last position in Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation in July 2018, Shahrol agreed the travel ban hampered him from finding possible employment as travelling has become more difficult.
