.JPG "MACC investigating officer Mohd Nasharudin Amir is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court March 3, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Hari Anggara")
KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer told the High Court today that MACC had allowed a statement prepared in advance by Eric Tan Kim Loong to be admissible as a recorded statement prior to interrogation during MACC's 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) probe in 2015.
Testifying as the ninth defence witness in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption trial today, MACC investigating officer Assistant Commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir said the statement was subsequently tendered by Tan with no amendments made as part of his admission.
Under cross-examination by ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram, Nasharudin said the interview process between Tan and MACC which took place at King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia only lasted 20 minutes.
Sithambaram: Do you agree that during the statement recording session, Tan had already prepared a statement beforehand?
Nasharudin: Yes
Sithambaram: And he (Tan) handed over the pre-prepared (statement) to the recording officer?
Nasharudin: Yes
Sithambaram: This statement was then copy pasted into the form of MACC's statement?
Nasharudin: True.
Sithambaram: Do you really know who had prepared Tan's statement?
Nasharudin: I do not know.
Sithambaram: Do you agree that at the time of statement recording, no interrogation took place?
Nasharudin: Agreed.
Tan is known to be a close associate of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low and is currently wanted for arrest under Interpol's Red Notice.
He has been described in news reports as Jho Low’s most trusted aide and had acted as his proxy in multiple financial transactions involving 1MDB money.
Previously Mohd Nasharudin told the court MACC officers flew to Saudi Arabia to identify the person known as “Prince Saud Abdulaziz Majid Al-Saud” for the investigation into the RM2.6 billion Najib claimed was a political donation.
The team comprised MACC officers Mohd Hafaz Nazar and Fikri Ab Rahim, former MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, MACC Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki and Mohd Nasharudin himself.
He had also affirmed MACC’s purpose during the visit was to collect evidence in the 1MDB case involving US$681 million (RM2.6 billion).
Mohd Nasharudin — an investigating officer in Najib’s 1MDB investigation from August 2015 until May 2018 — also said former MIC legal advisor Datuk Selva Mookiah was present during a probe where MACC officers had gone to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) probe in November 2015.
He however told the court he has no knowledge of Selva's presence at King Abdullah's palace at that time.
Later, two MACC investigating officers Azhari Karim and Ting Ing Ping also took the witness stand to affirm their roles as officers present during the statement recording of two individuals -- Jerome Lee Tak Loong and Jho Low.
Lee is also an alleged associate Jho Low and has since absconded.
The 10th and 11th defence witness affirmed both Lee and Jho Low had signed their statement when they were interrogated by MACC in 2015 after they were asked to identify copies of the statement produced in court today.
The court later allowed statements belonging to Lee, Tan and Jho Low to be admitted as court exhibits.
Najib is on trial over seven charges related to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Three are for criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, three more are for laundering the RM42 million, and the last is for abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same sum.
