Shafee hammers on Jho Low transcript: 'How can you blame Najib?'
Defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today suggested that the transcript of the conversation between Low Taek Jho and Ambank may show that the fugitive businessperson had misled Ambank in relation to transactions involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's bank account.
"It (the transcript) is important because it shows that the transactions are being made in the bank without his involvement...
Defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today suggested that the transcript of the conversation between Low Taek Jho and Ambank may show that the fugitive businessperson had misled Ambank in relation to transactions involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's bank account.
"It (the transcript) is important because it shows that the transactions are being made in the bank without his involvement.
"Other people are running the account. If Jho Low misleads the bank, what is Najib going to do? How can you blame him?
"That’s why I said it’s about whether he (Najib) knew he was dealing with illicit funds," he told journalists after the fifth day of Najib's SRC International Sdn Bhd trial at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex today.
Yesterday, Shafee had sought for the prosecution to produce the transcript between Low and Ambank as part of Najib's defence.
Shafee suggested to journalists that there would be "trouble" if the prosecution is unable to produce the document.
"It’s the most critical, I can tell you if they hide this, it will be doomsday for them.
"They cannot hide this because it is everywhere. It is on the Wall Street Journal and it is even on Sarawak Report.
"If it is missing, there will be serious trouble," he told journalists.
'Fishing expedition'
The prosecution had yesterday accused Shafee's team of embarking on a "fishing expedition" with its bid to compel a prosecution witness to produce documents including the transcript.
However, the defence team argued that it was up to the court to determine the relevance of the transcript after it was produced.
Shafee had argued in court that the transcript would show that Low was trying to hide the Ambank transactions from Najib, which would fit the defence’s narrative that the former prime minister was a victim of Low's "conspiracy".
Najib is standing trial for three counts of money laundering, three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power involving a sum of RM42 million originating from state-owned SRC International that flowed into Najib's bank accounts at Ambank.
The money was subsequently cashed out in various cheques in the name of private companies and BN parties, according to testimonies by witnesses.
The court also heard that Ambank relationship manager, Joanna Yu Ging Ping, was in contact with Low.
Yu was questioned by MACC investigators and surrendered evidence when the graftbusters raided Ambank’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch on July 6, 2015.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali had ordered for the transcript of the conversation between Yu and Low to be produced in court.
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