The Malaysian Insight

FORMER attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali will testify as a defence witness in the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial, where Najib Razak faces seven charges for allegedly misappropriating RM42 million in public funds.

The defence told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that it will call the 69-year-old Umno politician following disputes over the veracity of a document that the former prime minister’s lawyer wants to tender as evidence.

Apandi, who runs a private practice, will authenticate a 2016 press statement exonerating Najib of wrongdoing in the wake of investigations by multiple enforcement agencies a year earlier, said counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammad.

Najib this afternoon read out parts of Apandi’s press statement, which was published by a media company.

The statement said:

1. There is no evidence to show that YAB PM (Najib) abused his position during the cabinet meeting that approved the government guarantee on a RM4 billion loan to SRC International from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP);

2. The evidence showed that the loan approval process by KWAP and loan guarantee approval by the cabinet were properly done;

3. There is no evidence to show that YAB PM solicited or was promised any gratification from any party either before, during or after the cabinet decision was made;

4. The evidence as a whole does not disclose any conflict of interest on the part of YAB PM; and,

5. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission itself admitted that based on its investigation, there is no evidence from the witnesses that could show that the prime minister had committed any act of corruption.

Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allowed Apandi to be called after ad hoc prosecutor V. Sithambaram disputed the statement’s veracity and argued that a media statement cannot be used as evidence.

As a defence witness, Apandi will be subjected to cross-examination by the prosecution, which is led by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.

Reading his witness statement earlier today, Najib testified that he was not fully aware of the transactions involving his AmBank accounts, saying they were manipulated by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, who conspired with bankers and other executives.

He said he also decided to drop a suit against former minister Ling Liong Sik, who alleged that Najib had misappropriated funds from SRC International.

Najib said he did not lodge a police report in 2015 over irregularities with his Ambank accounts as he did not want to be seen as intervening in ongoing investigations.

The 66-year-old faces three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power.

His charges are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International in 2011 and 2012, for which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his accounts in 2014 and 2015.

The trial resumes tomorrow. – December 9, 2019.