PUTRAJAYA (Jan 10): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was visibly shaken on Friday as the prosecution attacked his defence testimony with an onslaught of questions on the infamous ‘donation’ from Saudi royalty.

At the start of the trial, deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar reminded Najib to always tell the truth with a verse from the Quran before raising the inconsistencies in Najib’s testimony. He was cross-examined on everything, from royal correspondence to the purported presence of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, at his house.

Najib was not able to explain how the Saudis knew which accounts to transfer money to nor why a letter from Prince Saud Abdul Aziz Al Saud would be sent to his home. Prosecutors also zeroed in on contradictions of his testimony with that of another witness, as well as his claim that he never set foot in 1Malaysia Development Bhd's office.

The former PM was heard heaving huge sighs at times during Friday's questioning.

Najib's key defence was that the money received was the result of Saudi donation, an assertion that had been previously rejected by the courts. He was found guilty in the case involving SRC International Sdn Bhd, and the conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal as well as the Federal Court.

When pointed out on Friday that there was no mention of political donation in the letter by Prince Saud Abdul Aziz dated Feb 1, 2011 or the three subsequent letters, Najib merely replied the hidden meaning was there.

He had testified earlier that the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia expressed support for him and would be supporting his endeavour by making a contribution in a private meeting in January 2010.

The prosecution then asked how he received the letter dated Feb 1, 2011 from Prince Saud Abdul Aziz, which was addressed to his personal home in Langgak Duta where a sum of US$100 million was pledged. Najib answered that he received it from his then principal private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias.

Kamal: The letter by Prince Saud Abdul Aziz is addressed to your personal Langgak Duta home?

Najib: Yes.

Kamal: As this is a personal letter and addressed to your home, how was it served to Datuk Azlin?

Najib: I don’t know.

Kamal: Did Azlin inform you how he obtained the letter?

Najib: I could not remember.

A day earlier, Kamal had asked Najib as to how Prince Saud Abdul Aziz had known of Najib’s personal home address, and his reply was everyone knows his personal address as one can search it.

The former prime minister was also asked which came first — the opening of the AmBank account or Jho Low informing him the Saudi monarch purportedly pledged a sum of US1 billion to support him.

Najib replied the opening of the account was first, and it was opened at Azlin’s suggestion.

Najib was then asked to explain why the sum of close to US$20 million that came into Najib’s account was less than the US$100 million initially promised in the letter. That was the prerogative of the Saudi royalty, he said.

The prosecution further questioned how the Saudi royalty knew where to transfer and how they knew his account number. Kamal pointed out that US$10 million was first transferred into the 9694 account before it was closed, followed by a similar sum into the 1880 account.

Najib could not explain how the Saudis knew which of his accounts to transfer the funds to.

He agreed that he did not ask where the money originated, as he had expected the sum would come from the Saudi royal family. Najib said Cheah would inform him when the money came in.

Kamal took the opportunity to emphasise the need to keep the bank account private to prevent money laundering.

Najib was then asked why the sender of the money was different from the one who sent the letter. The former PM acknowledged that they are two different people, though he maintained that it was from the Saudi royal family.

It has been established that the person who sent the letter was Prince Saud Abdul Aziz while the one who remitted the money was Prince Faisal Turki.

The hearing continues on Monday before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah in Putrajaya.

Read also:
1MDB-Tanore: Najib says unaware how Saudi donors got his account details or knew of account change
1MDB-Tanore: Why no thank-you note to Saudi donors? Prosecution takes aim at consummate gentleman Najib's 'bad manners'
1MDB-Tanore: Letter doesn't refer to meeting at which purported donations were 'promised'