PUTRAJAYA, Jan 23 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today explained that he did not file police reports on the alleged forgery of his signatures in some 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) documents, as the 1MDB case was already on trial in court.
Testifying in his own defence in his 1MDB trial where the government-owned company’s RM2 billion allegedly entered his personal bank accounts, Najib also indicated he wanted to avoid being seen as intimidating prosecution witnesses or to face potential contempt of court action.
“It was because by the time the matter surfaced, it was already in the realm of the court, so there was no real need to make a police report. But the matter will be discussed during the court proceedings.
“In any case, I’m also aware that any police report could be misconstrued as intimidating the witness, and there was the problem that happened too, an individual who lodged a police report and he was cited for contempt of court,” Najib said today.
On Monday, Najib confirmed he had never filed complaints with the police to say that he did not actually sign certain 1MDB documents, despite having claimed that his signature was forged on these documents.
Najib had previously said his signature is “basic and simple” and can be easily replicated with enough practice.
Today, Najib’s lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah questioned him about his previous denial of intimidating 1MDB’s auditor KPMG to sign off on the company’s 2013 financial statement, and asked whether it was in Najib’s character to intimidate people.
“No, I’m not seen in that light, I believe,” Najib said and chuckled, before continuing on to say: “I mean I don’t have that reputation of intimidating people.”
Among other things, Najib today claimed he never tried to stop investigations on Low Taek Jho amid red flags on the latter, and said the authorities should have arrested him if they felt strongly about him.
Najib also denied shielding Low from being investigated or detained.
Najib’s 1MDB trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes tomorrow morning.