YOURSAY | ‘Even if only RM420 went into my account, I’d want to know where it came from.’
Day 72: Najib's letters to Saudi king devoid of thanks for cash donations
JWT: I can’t argue against the judge’s reasoning and decision (to allow former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's application to call an expert handwriting witness).
The defence knows the signatures have been forged otherwise they would not be asking for a handwriting expert. Why? Because the SRC scam had been planned down to the smallest minutiae.
Should the expert opinion go in favour of the defence, then one can infer that the forgeries were intentional and premeditated acts executed in the course of the scam.
Who is the most likely culprit who forged the signatures? Probably former SRC International chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (who is conveniently missing). All in my humble opinion.
The Wakandan: Seriously, I just can’t believe that Najib is still saying the US$2.6 billion in his bank account came from an Arab donor.
Someone should tell him that every single US dollar that is transferred electronically has to be authorised by one of the four major US banks in New York, hence there is no running away from the US dollar tracking system which records the amount, beneficiary and benefactor of all international payment transfers.
Newday: The accused, did you or any other senior ministers ever require cabinet papers to be submitted before you disappeared on overseas junkets? No. You just went.
So, why the need of a cabinet paper in this particular case for second finance minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah to go to Switzerland to try and get back RM3.6 billion of SRC’s funds there?
The allegedly misappropriated Malaysian money had ended up in Switzerland. Swiss authorities contacted Malaysia and advised so - providing relevant information.
Get your man over there as soon as possible even if the plan is a bit loose at the time. Certainly, after the team comes back from Switzerland, it should prepare a cabinet paper as the information was of national significance. Yet you shut it all down on the flimsiest of reasons - 'not much of a plan'!
Later, the Swiss authorities volunteered to come here and present the facts to you. What did you do? You shut them down, you initially ignored them and then informed them there was no need, yet hundreds of millions had been identified by them as misappropriated from Malaysia.
You did nothing. Why? Because you knew all trails lead back to you. Your fingerprint expert and your lack of query as to why so much money was transferred into your bank account will not save you from the truth.
Manja: It’s so amazing how people make use of their trusted managers to cover their tracks and feign ignorance.
I am a managing director (MD) of my company and is responsible for the mistakes made by my accountants and auditors, and should that be the case, I have to pay the fine.
That goes the same for all executives, including the former PM. He has to take responsibility for mistakes which happened under his watch even if he did not see the bank statements.
And why change the attorney-general (AG) and MACC chief if you were innocent? Just accept the fact that you are not so clever after all.
Vijay47: This is a good decision by the judge. In allowing the application by the defence for an Australian handwriting expert to examine Najib's signatures, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali has protected the integrity of the trial and ensured that in the event of any appeal should the accused by found guilty, the defence cannot claim that they were prevented from submitting all favourable evidence.
And obviously, the prosecution is also permitted to bring in its own handwriting expert.
I am curious about just one thing - these news reports keep referring to an "Australian" handwriting expert. What if for any reason the Australian expert is unable to attend, would the judge's decision allow an expert from another country?
Anonymous_f9ff4347: The law is simple. If you see huge sums of money in your account that you don't know where the source is, you are required by law to report this for investigation of potential money-laundering crimes.
If you don't and you then use the money, you are then guilty of money laundering. Simple as that. Otherwise, everyone in Malaysia can do this - launder money and get away with it.
In any non-jury trial, it is the judge who will eventually determine whether he believes the defence’s story.
Honma: Najib claimed he did not know where the first RM2 billion of the SRC money had been invested. And he got the cheek to say that he approved another RM2 billion urgently because there was an opportunity for investments.
It is looks like his only duty is to approve and did not care what was done with the people's money. Mind you, he was then the PM and the finance minister.
Cogito Ergo Sum: Indeed, as finance minister, you did not know RM42 million in your account came from a government-linked company (GLC)?
You must be the worst finance minister in the world. And you were running the country as if the taxpayers’ money was yours to personally use. Where did you learn to think like this?
David: Even if only RM420 went into my account, I would want to know where it came from. Here, we have Bossku with RM42 million banked into his account and he doesn't know the source.
Apa Ini: Who receives millions and don't bother to check if the money is in his accounts? Nobody! Even billionaire Bill Gates would check.
Wira: Najib never needed to remember or know anything about the source of money that he was to spend.
As long as BN wins in every general election, who would dare to question, or check?
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
