KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad told the High Court today Datuk Seri Najib Razak had asked for his bank statements from him, a month after then Attorney General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali announced the closure of the RM2.6 billion donation and SRC International Sdn Bhd cases in 2016.

Testifying as the 17th defence witness in Najib’s RM42 million SRC International corruption trial, Dzulkifli who was then a deputy public prosecutor under the Attorney General Chambers, confirmed Najib’s aide Tan Sri Shukry Mohd Salleh had contacted him on February 26, 2016 to relay Najib’s request.

In a press conference held on January 26, 2016, Apandi had announced he was satisfied that no criminal offence has been committed by Najib over SRC International and a RM2.6 billion donation based on the facts and evidence as can be found in the investigation paper at the material time.

“In early 2016, I did receive a call from Shukry stating Najib needed his bank statements that were related to both SRC International and the RM2.6 billon case.

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“At that time, the cases have been closed and was classified under ‘No Further Action’,” he said under examination-in-chief by Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Earlier in court, Dzukifli expressed reluctance in answering Muhammad Shafee’s question, citing the matter was currently under police investigation and had been called in to assist the probe.

“I cannot answer the question because the subject matter is under police investigations,” he said, referring to the ongoing police probe over nine audio recordings released by MACC that allegedly involved a high-level criminal conspiracy.

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In one of the tape recordings, Dzulkifli is alleged to have leaked information from the AGC to Najib on the phone related to investigations against 1MDB and SRC International.

He then said he was prepared to answer if the court compelled him to do so.

High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then allowed Dzulkifli to respond provided his testimony was not false evidence.

Dzulkifli also said Shukry did not informed him of the reason for the request but had prepared the required documents to be given to Najib nonetheless.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak is pictured at Kuala Lumpur High Court March 10, 2020. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
Datuk Seri Najib Razak is pictured at Kuala Lumpur High Court March 10, 2020. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

Meanwhile, the 16th defence witness, Najib’s principle private secretary Shukry earlier testified that Najib had instructed him to get in touch with Dzulkifli to obtain bank statement copies belonging to the ex-prime minister on February 26.

He told the court he subsequently contacted Dzulkifli through his phone to relay Najib’s order.

When asked how sure he knew of the date, Shukry said it was based on his mobile phone’s call history.

However, he said he was unsure whether Dzulkifli took heed of Najib’s request and pass him the said documents as he had other matters to attend to.

Najib is on trial over seven charges related to SRC International.

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.