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Najib denies directing 1MDB task force disbandment
1MDB TRIAL | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has testified it was not his directive for the multi-agency 1MDB special task force to be disbanded in 2015.
The former finance minister told the High Court convened in Putrajaya today that he also never directed for a change of attorney-general and MACC chief commissioner that same year.
Najib claimed that the changes were mere administrative exercise and that the separate 1MDB investigation by Bank Negara.
Summary
Ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak claims the 1MDB task force disbandment in 2015 was an administrative exercise and was not his directive.
The accused is countering the prosecution’s claim that he ordered the disbandment.
1MDB TRIAL | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has testified it was not his directive for the multi-agency 1MDB special task force to be disbanded in 2015.
The former finance minister told the High Court convened in Putrajaya today that he also never directed for a change of attorney-general and MACC chief commissioner that same year.
Najib claimed that the changes were merely an administrative exercise and that the separate 1MDB investigation by a special task force consisting of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), MACC, Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), and police still continued.
“The changes in leadership at both the MACC and the AGC were part of an administrative reshuffling and had nothing to do with any directive or interference from me.
“In the case of (then AG) Abdul Gani Patail, I had intended to recommend his appointment as a Federal Court judge. However, this plan did not materialise.
“The suggestion that his replacement as AG was motivated by a desire to stymie investigations into 1MDB is simply false,” Najib said during today’s RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial against him.
The former premier added that the claim he took steps to cause the removal of the MACC chief commissioner and influenced the closure of the 1MDB case was entirely “baseless and misconceived”.
No interruption in MACC probe
Mohamed Apandi Ali took over as AG from Gani and held the position until 2018.
“Furthermore, Abu Kassim’s (Mohamed) departure from MACC (as its chief commissioner in 2015) was similarly an administrative decision, with no evidence suggesting that I played any role in his removal.
“The MACC continued its investigations into 1MDB under new leadership, and there was no interruption in its work.
“It is important to emphasise that such transitions in leadership are routine in governance and do not imply malfeasance or ulterior motives,” Najib testified.
Dzulkifli Ahmad succeeded Kassim as MACC chief commissioner until 2018.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues this afternoon.
The 1MDB trial is usually heard in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, however, it’s being convened in Putrajaya this week.
Answerable case
On Oct 30, the criminal court ordered Najib to enter his defence over four abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.27 billion of funds from troubled sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
Sequerah ruled that the prosecution succeeded in establishing a prima facie (answerable) case against Najib over the Minister of Finance Incorporated’s (MOF Inc) wholly owned company.
The judge ruled that Najib had to answer the charges due to the strength of the various 50 witness testimonies during the prosecution stage of proceedings that lasted six years since the trial began in 2019. The accused was first charged in 2018.
Since the prima facie ruling, Najib has been testifying in his defence against the 1MDB criminal charges.
Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar prosecuted.
Lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin represented Najib.
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Najib is the luckiest person, until the GE that toppled him and his cronies. First, he found someone deposited US$700 million into his private bank account, spent US$70 million and sent the rest to buddy Jho Low, Next, under criminal investigation of corruption, the AG, Bank Negara Governor and MAAC chief were all removed from office when an indictment was about to be served. The IGP who supported Najib was not changed. Finally, just as a Mongolian woman was about to expose the Scopene submarine corruption, when she was stiffed from her US$500k portion, Najib’s personal protection officers from UTK, killed and executed her. His luck finally ran out before the GE, when the people got fed up with these crimes. He may however look at Mahathir or Trump, as they regained power the second time like a phoenix rising.