KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak never complained about any of the transactions in his personal AmIslamic bank account where millions of ringgit had been banked in and had been used, the High Court heard today.
R. Uma Devi, the 37th prosecution witness in Najib’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, confirmed that over RM15.2 million of funds were transferred out of Najib’s AmIslamic account with the account number ending 9694, via 71 cheques issued during the March 2011 to December 2011 period.
The RM15.2 million went to various recipients, including to Umno, Yayasan Rahah, Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, car companies (Signature Exotic Cars Sdn Bhd, Zas Car Network Sdn Bhd, Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd), and former deputy transport minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi.
Uma Devi who is AmIslamic bank’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager had last week also confirmed that over RM60 million had entered this same AmIslamic account belonging to Najib via two transactions in February and June 2011.
Asked by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, Uma Devi confirmed that AmBank would send bank account statements to its customers every month, and that Najib had never complained about the account.
Sri Ram: In the case of your account, did he ever — from your records — did he ever complain about his statement of account to the bank?
Uma Devi: As far as my knowledge, even in SRC case, I did confirm there was no dispute or complaint about his account.
Sri Ram: What about this case? Same answer?
Uma Devi: Yes.
Uma Devi confirmed that she had previously testified as a witness during Najib’s separate trial over the misappropriation of RM42 million of government-owned company SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds. That is the case which resulted in Najib being imprisoned.
Uma Devi confirmed to Sri Ram that her evidence or testimony in the SRC case was accepted by all levels of the courts, from the High Court where the trial took place and also at the appellate levels where Najib lost his appeals.
Having joined AmBank in 2012 and having been transferred to its Jalan Raja Chulan branch where she has been working as a branch manager since 2015, Uma Devi confirmed that Najib did not file any lawsuits against the bank from 2015 until 2018 for alleged mishandling of his account.
Based on bank documents which Uma Devi verified today, Najib’s AmIslamic account ending 9694 had earned over RM1.25 million in interest during the March to December 2011 period, with the monthly interest garnered based on the monthly current balance in the current account.
Najib had opened this bank account on January 13, 2011 at AmIslamic’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch, and closed it down on August 30, 2013.
The trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah is scheduled to resume tomorrow.
Based on bank documents which Uma Devi verified today, Najib’s AmIslamic account ending 9694 had earned over RM1.25 million in interest during the March to December 2011 period, with the monthly interest garnered based on the monthly current balance in the current account.
The highest monthly interest received by Najib during this period was RM 308,621.92 on December 30, 2011.
To be precise, the total interest garnered in these 10 months in 2011 are RM1,253,924.80.
Najib had opened this bank account on January 13, 2011 at AmIslamic’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch, and closed it down on August 30, 2013.
The trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah is scheduled to resume tomorrow.
Who were the known recipients of the RM15.2m cheques?
Based on the bank cheques verified by Uma Devi today, the recipients of Najib’s cheques include Semarak Konsortium Satu Sdn Bhd which was identified as having received RM2,242,200 or over RM2.2 million via seven cheques during the March to December 2011 period, Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia Bhd (RM356,000 cheque in March 2011 and RM610,000 in August 2011), Koperasi Wanita Pahang Berhad (RM50,000 in May 2011), former international trade and industry deputy minister Jacob Dungau Sagan (RM200,000 in June 2011), and Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi (RM100,000 in October 2011).
Uma Devi also identified the other cheque recipients as Signature Exotic Cars Sdn Bhd (RM167,959.50 in June 2011), Umno’s Tun Razak division (RM200,000 in June 2011), Shangri-La Hotel KL (RM395,782.40 in June 2011), Multi Trans Sdn Bhd (RM29,221.70 in July 2011), Binsabi Sdn Bhd (RM350,000 in July 2011), World Vantage Enterprise (RM8,000 in July 2011), Zas Car Network Sdn Bhd (RM8,400 in July 2011), Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (RM72,208.20 in July 2011), Icah Enterprise (RM12,515 in July 2011), and Jakel Trading (RM360,000 via two cheques banked in in August and September 2011).
Individuals on the list who were also identified today as having received cheques from Najib’s account are Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff (RM30,000 cheque received in August 2011), Mohamed Idris Abu Bakar (RM50,000 in August 2011), Abu Bakar Harun (RM30,000 in August 2011), Datuk Ishak Mohamad (RM30,000 received in September 2011), Melati Ali (RM39,500 in September 2011), Minah Wee Wat (RM5,000 in September 2011), and Hj Ahmad Baijuri Ahmad Faudzi (RM50,000 in October 2011).
Uma Devi also confirmed that a RM200,000 cheque was paid to Indera Mahkota Umno in August 2011, and that the recipients include ORB Solutions Sdn Bhd (RM2,450,000 or RM2.45 million via five cheques during March to November 2011), Qalif Umar Creative (RM560,000 via four cheques from March to November 2011), Yayasan Rahah (RM1.5 million via three cheques during May to September 2011), and Transformasi Kreatif (RM193,000 via three cheques in November 2011).
Uma Devi did not identify the recipients for some of the 71 cheques.
Altogether, the 71 cheques verified as having been issued and paid out from Najib’s AmIslamic account come up to RM15,220,036.80, or over RM15.2 million.
