Najib was a suspect, says retired police investigator

Summary

• Retired investigating officer R Rajagopal testifies that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak became a suspect in a police investigation into alleged criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving funds from 1MDB.

• The defence witness subpoenaed by Najib's defence team testifies that the former finance minister was not initially a suspect when the investigation was launched in 2015, and only became one by 2019.

• Najib is only on trial over alleged abuse of power and money laundering involving RM2.27 billion of 1MDB funds, and not for any alleged CBT offence linked to the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

1MDB TRIAL | A retired investigating officer testified that ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak became a suspect in a police investigation into the alleged criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving 1MDB funds.

R Rajagopal told the High Court in Putrajaya today that the ex-finance minister was not a suspect initially at the start of the CBT investigation in 2015 but became one by 2019.

The retired police officer was replying to cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib during today's RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial against Najib.

It should be noted that Najib has never been charged over any alleged CBT offences involving 1MDB funds and that today's criminal trial is over four abuse of power charges and 21 money laundering counts.

Akram: Was Najib a suspect in the (CBT) case?

Rajagopal: Yes.

Najib's defence team subpoenaed the witness to testify for the accused during the defence stage of the 1MDB trial.

Taking over

During proceedings before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, Rajagopal agreed with Akram's assertion that police superiors directed the then highly ranked superintendent to take over the CBT investigation in September 2015.

Rajagopal recalled that among the considerations that led to him being asked to conduct the investigation was due to the personality linked to the case, namely Najib.

The former investigating officer said the case was linked to 1MDB, which was an entity fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc).

Rajagopal explained that it involved an alleged inflow of money from 1MDB to Najib's bank account.

Previously, the defence witness testified Najib was initially treated as a witness in the CBT investigation.

During Akram's cross-examination today, Rajagopal explained that there was initially no suspect when the CBT probe began in 2015.

The defence witness said it was still too early then as they had yet to record statements from many witnesses, which included members of 1MDB's board of directors and management.

Rajagopal recalled that the initial police report that launched the CBT investigation was lodged by former Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

The retired police officer testified that Khairuddin's report was over what he read in the media about an exposé on governance issues in 1MDB that caused the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund to be hit with billions of ringgit in debt.

In court today, Rajagopal confirmed he was the investigating officer mentioned by then Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) officer Dzulkifli Ahmad during a conversation with Najib.

Rajagopal was replying to Akram's queries over a Jan 5, 2016 audio recording of a conversation between Dzulkifli and Najib over the authorities' then ongoing investigation into the 1MDB affair.

Back in 2020, then MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya released to the public various audio recordings linked to the 1MDB affair, including the one between Najib and Dzulkifli.

Latheefa, at the time, had taken over MACC from Dzulkifli, who helmed the anti-graft agency from 2016 to 2018.

The 1MDB trial resumes on April 7.

Prima facie established

On Oct 30 last year, the High Court ordered Najib to enter his defence over four abuses of power and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.27 billion from 1MDB.

Sequerah ruled that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie (answerable) case against Najib due to the strength of some 50 witness testimonies.

The prosecution witnesses included former members of 1MDB management, including former CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, former chief financial officer Azmi Tahir, and former general counsel Jasmine Loo.

Between early December last year and late January this year, Najib spent 26 days on the witness stand trying to raise reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

The accused contended that he had no knowledge or involvement in wrongdoing at 1MDB and that embezzlement there was solely masterminded by fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and the management of the sovereign wealth fund.

The former Pekan MP also relied on the defence that he was promised a donation by the late Saudi monarch King Abdullah during a meeting in Riyadh in 2010.

Since August 2022, Najib has been serving a six-year jail sentence over an abuse of power, CBT, and money laundering case involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB that later became fully owned by MoF Inc.

Early last year, the Pardons Board issued a statement for Najib's initial SRC case penalty of 12 years in jail and RM210 million fine to be discounted to six years imprisonment and RM50 million.

Najib had no interest in 1MDB: Ex-minister Noh

Former 1MDB chair unhappy over US$700m diversion: Ex-cop

RM14.6m in 1MDB assets recovered, says MACC

1MDB board did not approve US$700m transfer to Good Star: Witness

Shafee objected to police recording Najib's statement: Retired cop