I'm generally able to tell truth from lies, but can be misled - Najib testifies

Summary

• Ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak testifies that he generally can tell between truth and falsehood but can make a mistake if misled.

• The former finance minister is responding to deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib’s cross-examination.

1MDB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak testified that he generally can tell the truth from falsehood but can make a mistake when misled.

The former prime minister today told the High Court convened in Putrajaya about his decision-making when he helmed the federal administration from 2009 to 2018.

During the RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial against Najib, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib was grilling him on whether he was a highly intelligent person who could tell the truth from lies.

“Generally (yes), but sometimes, when (facts were) not presented in a correct way or I have been misinformed and misled, I can make a mistake,” the former Pekan MP told trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

When Akram put it to Najib that his education and expertise that led to him becoming the prime minister made it extremely difficult for him to be misled, the accused disagreed.

Najib’s long-standing line of defence was that he had no knowledge of wrongdoing at 1MDB, and that embezzlement at the troubled Malaysian sovereign wealth fund was solely masterminded by fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and other members of its management.

Prosecutors, however, claimed that Low’s actions were done with Najib’s blessing.

‘Boleh la,’ answers Najib on whether he was intelligent

Meanwhile, during today’s trial, Najib conceded “boleh la” when asked by Akram whether the ex-prime minister and youngest MP in Malaysian political history was intelligent.

“I had great difficulty to accept the offer to contest as at the time it was a daunting prospect, I had great difficulty accepting the challenge, but I decided to take it up as I wanted to do something to contribute.

“I had the people’s support as they wanted me to continue the legacy of Razak (Hussein, Najib’s late father), otherwise I would not have entered the fray,” Najib reminisced over the first time he won the Pekan seat in 1976. He was 23.

During the cross-examination, Najib explained that being a prime minister was not a one-man show as he would depend on the right people to make the right decisions for the public.

“I try to do the right thing but I learnt there were consequences,” he mused over the various decisions in his political career, including introducing the controversial Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2015.

This tax system was repealed during the 2018-2020 Pakatan Harapan federal administration.

Akram: As prime minister, you were required to assess risks and make decisions that affect millions of lives, that would train you to distinguish between truth and false.

Najib: Generally, but in life and government, you cannot get 100 percent right.

Power abuse, money laundering involving RM2.27b

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 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. He was first charged in 2018.

Since the prima facie ruling, Najib has been testifying in his defence against the 1MDB criminal charges.

Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah represented Najib.

Najib cites Anwar on 'flawed' probe, claims PM's remarks refer to his cases

I can teach law at this point, Najib tells court

Najib denies directing 1MDB task force disbandment

Amid full pardon push, Najib's FB swipes at SRC trial judge again

Najib has 'not slept in 3 to 4 days', 1MDB trial cut short