Pies, satay and chips - code words for Najib's bank transfers
NAJIB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak's defence team added a gastronomical twist by quizzing a banker about code words used to describe millions in remittances to their client's bank accounts.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court today heard that the terms "pies", "satay" and "chips" cropped up in BlackBerry messenger chat logs between former AmBank banker Joanna Yu and fugitive Jho Low (above)...
NAJIB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak's defence team added a gastronomical twist by quizzing a banker about code words used to describe millions in remittances to their client's bank accounts.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court today heard that the terms "pies", "satay" and "chips" cropped up in BlackBerry messenger chat logs between former AmBank banker Joanna Yu and fugitive Jho Low (above).
Under cross-examination by Harvinderjit Singh, Yu explained that "pies" and "chips" were used by Low to refer to US dollars while "satay" referred to Malaysian ringgit.
Harvinderjit: Last page. "681 American pies" coming tomorrow.
Joanna: Yes.
Harvinderjit: Does "American pies" refer to US dollar?
Joanna: Yes.
When Harvinderjit asked why "pies", "satay" and "chips" were used in the conversations, Yu explained that it was terms that Low used.
Yu (below) confirmed that Low provided letters stating that these funds were "gifts" or "donations" and that the documents were reported to then Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Harvinderjit: In terms of your involvement in reporting the mount 2011, 2012 and 2013, there was no endeavour in your part to hide the fact of these transactions from the authorities?
Yu: Nothing to hide.
Harvinderjit: Everybody knows.
Yu: Relevant departments that handle the (currency) conversion (and) the bosses. They knew.
Buying 620 pies
Apart from remittances, "pies" were also used by Low to refer to the purchase of US dollars to be transferred elsewhere, the court heard.
Yu agreed with Harvinderjit when he pointed out that the BlackBerry Messenger chat logs suggested that Low had instructed the banker to transfer US$620 million from Najib's account to the original source.
Read more: Ten things we learnt from Najib’s banker Joanna Yu
When asked whether the correct procedure was to purchase US dollars first before remittance, Yu said she believed this procedure was based on the advice of Bank Negara.
The purchase of US dollars was not done in a lump sum.
Harvinderjit (above): (Referring to exhibit) where you were reporting to Jho Low. "Done 400 pies". You purchased US$400 million worth?
Yu: Yes.
When asked if the US$620 million was "returned to Tanore", Yu confirmed it. Tanore referred to the Tanore Finance Corp, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands.
Earlier today, DPP V Sithambaran argued that the transactions referred to by the defence took place between 2011 and 2013, which were irrelevant to the charges against Najib which cited dates between Dec 26, 2014 and March 2, 2015.
Read more: On the "Tanore phase"
Harvinderjit then argued that the defence was trying to establish that the money came from the same source - Low.
"The point is that if my client, in his mind, (the money) was a donation, then (these questions) are relevant, my lord.
"His state of mind. This is where we are going in this," said Harvinderjit.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then allowed the defence team to continue their line of questioning.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.