Ex-chief sec explains why he thought 1MDB a 'political funding' for BN
During the RM2.28 billion corruption trial against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, the 19th prosecution witness said that cabinet meetings comprised ministers from the ruling coalition...
A federal government policy is derived from the policy of the ruling political party, testified former chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan.
During the RM2.28 billion corruption trial against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, the 19th prosecution witness said that cabinet meetings comprised ministers from the ruling coalition.
This was the reason he assumed that the sovereign wealth fund was meant to provide political funding to then ruling BN, Sidek (above) said after being subjected to re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram.
Yesterday, the witness testified that he thought 1MDB was established to be used as political funding for BN.
When Sri Ram asked about the BN cabinet’s discussion on 1MDB, the former 1MDB board of advisers member said that projects discussed during these meetings were meant for the “ministers in their constituency”, adding that “these ministers were BN members”.
Sri Ram: On the issue of the code of ethics regarding conflict of interest, when the accused Najib was sitting in the cabinet as then prime minister, how many hats was he wearing?
Sidek: He was the prime minister and finance minister.
Sri Ram: The cabinet was concerned with discussing matters of government policy, is that correct?
Sidek: Yes, that is what the cabinet is.
Sri Ram: It is not the purpose of the cabinet to discuss party politics.
Sidek: In regard to party policy, I am a civil servant through and through. Government policy is the policy of the party in power, whether BN or whatever. The policy of the government is therefore derived from the party or coalition in government. You cannot differentiate between the two.
Code of ethics
When Sri Ram asked whether this allowed a minister to participate in cabinet meetings about projects in which he or she has a personal interest or not, Sidek asked the prosecutor to refer to the code of ethics.
The witness added that he did not recall whether Najib in previous cabinet meetings ever disclosed any alleged relationship with businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low).
The prosecution previously contended that the wrongdoing at 1MDB was done by Low with the blessing of Najib.
The defence team however countered that the accused had no knowledge of wrongdoing and that the whole embezzlement scheme was solely masterminded by Low and several members of the fund’s management team.
Proceedings before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume this afternoon.
Sidek previously testified among others that Najib “out of the goodness of his heart” had selected him to be a member of 1MDB’s advisory board as the then premier thought his salary as then chief secretary to the government was too low.
The witness had also once testified that after being made a member of 1MDB’s board of advisers, he was never called to attend any meetings relating to the fund.
At the end of proceedings this afternoon, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told the court that the prosecution will ensure two bankers are on standby to testify for the prosecution trial tomorrow.
However, the prosecutor did not reveal who the two bankers are.
Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB’s funds.
Besides being the former premier, Najib also used to be the finance minister and chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers. 1MDB is wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated.
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