Najib's stepson Riza makes an appearance at 1MDB trial
NAJIB TRIAL | Businessperson Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz made an appearance today at the trial of his stepfather Najib Abdul Razak, who is accused of laundering RM2.28 billion.
Riza was among seven individuals who appeared before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali to be identified by prosecution witness Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin...
NAJIB TRIAL | Businessperson Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz made an appearance today at the trial of his stepfather Najib Abdul Razak, who is accused of laundering RM2.28 billion.
Riza (above) was among seven individuals who appeared before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali to be identified by prosecution witness Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.
The seven were called for identification because they were mentioned in a witness statement authored by Amhari, who was Najib's former aide.
Riza was extensively mentioned in the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) court documents in relation to the misappropriation of 1MDB funds.
Among others, the DOJ had accused Riza of receiving 1MDB funds through Good Star Ltd and Aabar Investment PJS Ltd for US-based companies that eventually produced the Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street.
In March 2018, Red Granite Pictures, which produced the film, eventually agreed to forfeit US$60 million to the US government. Riza is Red Granite's CEO.
Domestically, Riza has been charged with laundering US$248 million in funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. His trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court will begin in January next year.
Meanwhile, among the six other individuals identified by Amhari were three former shot callers at 1MDB - Che Lodin Wok Kamarudin (former chairperson), Arul Kanda Kandasamy (former president) and Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi (former CEO).
Of the three, Arul Kanda is currently being tried for allegedly abetting Najib in the tampering of a National Audit Department report on 1MDB. The hearing starts on Nov 18.
The other three individuals identified by Amhari today were Najib's former aide Wan Ahmad Shihab, former Yayasan 1Malaysia director Dennis See Thuan Buan and one Azmi Kadir.
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