PUTRAJAYA (Feb 18): The prosecution in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd-Tanore (1MDB-Tanore) trial has contended that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) team’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2015 to investigate 1MDB was orchestrated such that no thorough investigation actually took place, because it involved a sitting prime minister, namely Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, who was conducting a cross-examination on Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Fikri Ab Rahim, had suggested this to Fikri regarding the MACC’s delegation to Saudi Arabia to interview members of the Saudi royal family, purportedly to carry out investigations on the origin of the US$681 million which ended up in Najib’s personal bank accounts.

Fikri denied that it was orchestrated and said that the MACC did carry out investigations while they were there.

Akram asked him about two statements the MACC had recorded while they were there, although they were not from members of the royal family. One statement was from Abdullah Al Koman, an agent of one of the Saudi princes.

Akram: You know that you were going there (to Riyadh) to take (collect) these two statements. Before you went, you knew that you went there just to collect the statements (instead of interview witnesses)?

Fikri: I don't agree and don't know.

Fikri had previously testified that the officers present, including himself, had taken two statements, one from Al Koman, and another from Eric Tan Kim Loong, who was present at the investigations in Riyadh for some (unknown) reason.

The officer testified that statements were taken from both Al Koman and Tan for about 20-25 minutes each. The prosecution questioned the brevity of this process, asserting that there were already pre-meditated prepared statements, which assisted Najib, and that the anti-graft agency merely "copy pasted" the said statements. Fikri denied this.

Akram: I think you went there, were given a “cut and paste” statement, and brought it back. That is why the interviews were so short — 20 minutes per person only.

Fikri: I don't agree.

Akram: Why you did that is because it was a sitting PM that you were investigating. That is why it was pre-planned for you to go there, and collect the statement, and come back.

Fikri: I disagree.

Fikri added that the Attorney General's Chambers and MACC had already coordinated and made arrangements — as was the norm — therefore those in Saudi Arabia were already prepared with their statements and the necessary documents.

"We will explain [beforehand] what documents are needed, who we want to interview, so that our work will be smooth," he said.

Fikri had previously testified that he went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between Nov 27 and 29 in 2015, together with the director of the National Revenue Recovery Enforcement Team at the Attorney General's Chambers Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki, and MACC officers Mohd Hafaz Nazar and Mohd Nasharudin Amir, to investigate.

The three princes the team was supposed to interview were Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Majed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Prince Saud), Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Prince Faisal) and Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Prince Turki).

Fikri said that during that visit, he had seen the three princes — Saud, Faisal and Turki — from a distance when he entered the Riyadh palace grounds with the Malaysian delegation. To his surprise, businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low)'s close associate Tan was also present. The MACC had recorded Prince Saud's statement from his agent and lawyer, Al Koman, due to the prince's alleged immunity.

In this trial, Najib is accused of four abuse of power and 21 money-laundering charges.

Presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah had ordered the ex-PM to enter his defence for all charges after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against Najib.

The trial continues on Thursday (Feb 20).

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