The Malaysian Insight

NAJIB Razak denied the authenticity of his signatures on key evidence, including documents relating to SRC International’s application for and subsequent handling of RM4 billion in loans from Retirement Fund Inc, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard last week.

The former prime minister also maintained his claim that he only realised the signatures were forgeries when the SRC International trial got underway last year. 

When cross-examined by ad hoc deputy public prosecutor V. Sithambaram, Najib said he never signed documents between 2011 and 2018 to authorise SRC International to invest in the energy sector.

The Pekan MP, who is also the finance minister then, said despite the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc) being the single shareholder of the entity, the decision would have been made by SRC International’s board of directors. 

He also said he did not sign other documents, including a shareholder’s resolution that enabled SRC International to invest RM3.6 billion overseas. 

The money was transferred between 2011 and 2012 to, among others, BSI Bank in Switzerland and Bank Julius Baer & Co Ltd in Hong Kong, the high court heard. 

Najib maintained he never signed the documents shown to him in court authorising the purported investments abroad.

He also said he could not recall signing documents approving of the loans, including a letter dated February 17, 2012, which bore Najib’s signature approving the second RM2 billion loan to SRC International. 

Najib said he was only shown the documents “secara ringkas (briefly)” when he was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, during which he confirmed they bore his signature. 

“I sign dozens of documents everyday. I was running the country. There were a 1,001 things to do, I can’t remember them all,” Najib said. 

The accused insisted that the authenticity of his signatures could only be verified by a handwriting expert. The defence will be applying on January 20 for the high court to call an Australian handwriting expert.

Najib is seeking for 35 documents previously tendered and marked as exhibits to be made available for examination by the expert. 

Najib, who entered his defence on December 3, said his signature on at least 15 documents, including banking transactions and forms, were forged.

Ties to Jho Low

In his relationship with Low Taek Jho, commonly known as Jho Low, Najib maintained that although the Penang-born businessman deposited tens of millions into his account, he (Najib) was never privy to the details of their source. 

The prosecution charged that Low deposited RM80 million to RM90 million into Najib’s personal bank accounts from 2011 onwards, which the Pekan MP later spent.

Najib also said he had been in contact (link here) with Low on a few occasions. Najib agreed with a suggestion by the prosecution that Low made certain there was enough money in Najib’s personal AmBank accounts to ensure that cheques could be issued at Swiss luxury jewellery store in Italy in 2014. 

It was at this store, De Grisogono, that Najib bought gifts amount amounting to RM3.3 million for the wife of a former Qatari prime minister, he testified.

The prosecution accused Najib of lying on the gifts, saying it was a front to cover up the expenses. 

Meanwhile, at the start of the last week’s hearing, the prosecution applied to impeach Najib for making contradictory statements in court compared with when he was questioned by the MACC. 

During cross-examination, Najib acknowledged there were contradictions between what he told the court and what he had told investigators from the MACC. 

Najib acknowledged in his statement to the MACC that he had signed four documents, but later would not concede his signature’s authenticity in court. 

Presiding judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali later dismissed the application, saying there were no apparent material contradictions and ordered the trial continue. 

Had Najib been impeached, his testimony would not be admitted as evidence. He could have been additionally charged with perjury, which is a jailable offence. 

The 66-year-old’s charges in the SRC International trial are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to the entity in 2011 and 2012, for which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in 2014 and 2015. 

The trial resumes on January 20. – January 12, 2020.