Day 35: Ex-Treasury sec-gen says second SRC loan memo didn't reach his table
LIVE | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters its 35th day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings....
LIVE | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters its 35th day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
Summary of Najib’s SRC RM42 million case
Najib is facing 7 charges relating to RM42m involving SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
- Judge asks defence team to wrap up cross-examination 'way before lunch'
- Ex-Treasury sec-gen says second SRC loan memo didn't reach his table
- Najib didn't say anything when told about KWAP's RM1b loan decision
- 'Loan bid still needs to go through normal procedures despite PM's' letter'
- Judge tells lawyer: Witness needs a break
- 'Najib called ex-KWAP chair to have RM2b loan disbursed early'
- Najib requested KWAP to double SRC loan to RM2b - witness
- Najib enters the dock
Thank you for following Malaysiakini's live report
6pm - Thank you for following our live report today.
Reporting by Hariz Mohd and Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid.
If you like what we do, support independent media by joining our subscription programme for as low as RM0.55 a day. Details here.
Judge asks defence team to wrap up cross-examination 'way before lunch'
4.40pm - The entire courtroom erupts in laughter when judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali asks the defence to wrap up tomorrow's cross-examination of former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah "way before lunch."
The judge is reacting to lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah assuring that the defence would not take up much time to cross-examine the 45th witness.
When deputy public prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff asks the defence for a precise estimation of how much longer they need, Nazlan says again "Way before lunch."
This elicits even more laughter from everyone in the courtroom, from the deputy public prosecutors and the defence, to even those in the public gallery.
Nazlan then allows the defence's application to cut short today's proceedings to re-strategise for the cross-examination of Aziz, which includes the defence team taking instructions from accused Najib Abdul Razak.
The trial resumes before Nazlan at 9am tomorrow.
Ex-Treasury sec-gen says second SRC loan memo didn't reach his table
4.30pm - The court hears from Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah that a memorandum for SRC International's second loan guarantee did not go through him in 2012.
Wan Abdul Aziz, the Treasury secretary-general at the time, testifies that he only heard about the company's second government guarantee after it received cabinet approval.
For the record, the cabinet approved the second government guarantee for the RM2 billion loan to SRC International in February 2012.
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Farhan Read, Wan Abdul Aziz said the memo prepared by the Finance Ministry was endorsed by his deputy at that time, Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah (photo).
It was then taken up to then-second finance minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, and later to prime minister Najib Abdul Razak for approval prior to being tabled in the cabinet meeting.
"But this memo was not CC'ed (copied) to me. No 'salinan kepada' (copy to)," he tells the court when asked by Farhan if he was aware of it although he didn't sign the document.
"It did not reach my table."
Wan Abd Aziz later testified that he knew about the cabinet paper, but not through reading the document.
Instead he "heard about it" after the cabinet approved the matter.
Najib didn't say anything when told about KWAP's RM1b loan decision
2.57pm - Then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak did not say anything when informed for the first time of the Retirement Fund Inc's (KWAP) decision to only loan RM1 billion to SRC International, instead of the RM3.95 billion it initially applied for.
Former KWAP chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah reveals this under cross-examination from defence counsel Farhan Read.
According to Wan Abdul Aziz, this was when he and then-KWAP CEO Azian Mohd Noh conveyed the investment panel's decision personally to Najib at the Prime Minister's Office at Putrajaya in 2011.
Farhan: You relayed the information (panel's decision) to Najib, and he did not say anything?
Aziz: Yes.
Farhan: The meeting with Najib was not a formal meeting, but you merely popped in to see him and then be on your way?
Aziz: Yes.
Farhan: You agree that after having informed him of this decision of the investment panel, it seemed he was fine?
Aziz: He (Najib) did not say anything.
In a later part of his witness statement, Aziz says that Najib had instead spoken to him about the investment panel's decision in another meeting at the PMO.
Aziz tells the court that this time, Najib told him to expedite SRC International's loan application to KWAP, and that RM2 billion would suffice rather than the RM1 billion earlier decided by the KWAP investment panel.
It was reported that later in 2011, KWAP agreed to extend an RM2 billion loan to SRC International, before lending another RM2 billion to the company in early 2012.
2.42pm - Proceedings resume with the cross-examination of former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.
12.55pm - The court breaks for lunch, with proceedings to resume at 2.30pm
'Loan bid still needs to go through normal procedures despite PM's letter'
12.36pm - "No matter how or when the request was made, we have to go through the normal process."
This was former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah's reply to a question from defence lawyer Farhan Read.
Farhan had asked the witness whether he perceived SRC International's initial 2011 letter to Najib Abdul Razak to apply for an RM3.95 billion loan as an instruction.
The court previously heard that Najib’s wrote on the letter, effectively stating his agreement to the proposal.
11.26am - Proceedings resume.
Judge tells lawyer: Witness needs a break
11.05am - "The witness needs a break."
Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali says this to defence lawyer Farhan Read during the cross-examination of former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.
At this point, Farhan (photo) had been questioning the witness since 10.44am.
Earlier, the court was informed that Wan Abdul Aziz was not in the best of health.
In response, Farhan causes the whole court to break out in laughter when he quips to the witness, "We customarily take a break at 11am."
Proceedings come to a halt for a short break.
'Najib called ex-KWAP chair to have RM2b loan disbursed early'
10.30am - Former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah says he received a call from then-premier Najib Abdul Razak (photo) to disburse the second RM2 billion tranche of the loan to SRC International before a government guarantee was issued in early 2012.
During examination-in-chief by DPP Suhaimi Ibrahim, the 45th witness says that this was why KWAP broke with its normal practice and disbursed the funds early.
"The government guarantee was approved earlier by the cabinet.
"Only that while awaiting the issuance process (of the letter of guarantee), I received a call from Najib for the Finance Ministry to issue the letter to KWAP for early disbursement (of the RM2 billion loan) as applied (by SRC International).
"This was later followed up with the government guarantee as soon as possible.
"I do not remember when (Najib called). Najib had asked me to make the early disbursement, so Maliami Hamad (then-Treasury deputy secretary-general) issued the letter on March 28, 2012.
"I told Maliami to issue the letter on the same day for KWAP to issue the disbursement, the same day the telephone call was made," says the former Treasury secretary-general.
Najib requested KWAP to double SRC loan to RM2b - witness
10am - Following a request by then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) loaned RM2 billion to SRC International in 2011 instead of the RM1 billion the investment panel initially decided on, the court hears.
Former Treasury secretary-general and KWAP chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah testifies that Najib communicated the request to him when they met at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya.
This happened sometime in 2011 after an earlier meeting, where Wan Abdul Aziz and then-KWAP CEO Azian Mohd Noh (photo) met Najib to tell him of the investment panel's decision to only loan RM1 billion to SRC International.
"We (him and Azian) had informed (Najib) on the panel decision to only approve RM1 billion loan. But I do not remember the date of this meeting.
"After this (meeting), there was once when I met Najib again at the prime minister's office on an official Finance Ministry duty.
"Najib asked me to expedite the approval for SRC International loan application to KWAP.
"He told me that an RM2 billion loan to SRC International would suffice, instead of the RM1 billion amount.
"This meeting was only between both of us at the prime minister's office. I do not remember the exact date of this meeting, and I did not make any written note on the order given by Najib," he tells the court.
According to Wan Abdul Aziz, the message was later passed to the KWAP Investment Panel during its special meeting on July 19, 2011.
"I also want to state here that if it was not for the communication from Najib to me on the matter of SRC International loan with KWAP, the KWAP investment panel would have stood with the RM1 billion loan as had been deliberated and decided earlier.”
Najib enters the dock
9.42am - Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah enters the court and takes a seat at the front.
Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah continues to read out from his witness statement during examination-in-chief by DPP Suhaimi Ibrahim.
9.11am - Najib Abdul Razak enters the dock as proceedings begin.
In the dock, 44th witness and former Treasury deputy secretary-general Mat Noor Nawi identifies Zahid Taib.
Zahid Taib is a representative from 1MDB.
After this identification, 45th witness and former Treasury secretary-general and Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) chairperson Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah takes the stand.
The hearing starts with defence team being led by Farhan Read, as lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has yet to arrive in court.
According to Shafee's son, Muhammad Farhan, the lawyer is making further preparations for today's trial at his office and will be coming to court shortly.
9.01am - Accused Najib Abdul Razak enters the court and takes a seat in the front row of the public gallery.
Also seen in court are members of his defence team, as well as deputy public prosecutor V Sithambaram and other members of the prosecution team.
With the court having fully heard 44th witness and former Treasury deputy secretary-general Mat Noor Nawi yesterday, the stage is set today for the testimony of his boss at the time, Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.
Having served as the Treasury secretary-general when two separate government guarantees were issued for SRC International’s two loans totalling RM4 billion in 2011 and 2012, Wan Abdul Aziz’s testimony will be important to both the prosecution and defence.
As Najib Abdul Razak’s RM42 million SRC International trial enters the 35th day before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, the prosecution is set to subject Wan Abdul Aziz to examination-in-chief.
Of particular interest will be his response to other witnesses’ testimonies, including the claim that he was the conduit for a directive from then-prime minister and finance minister Najib.
The directive ordered the Finance Ministry to expedite SRC International’s application for the government guarantee.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.