PUTRAJAYA (May 5): A handwriting expert told the High Court that there were differences and similarities in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s signatures on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) documents, but couldn’t verify them as she only received photocopies for analysis.

Tay Eue Kam, a handwriting expert from PHA Handwriting Analysis Sdn Bhd, said she could not determine the veracity of the signatures because she only received photocopied documents from Messrs Shafee & Co for analysing purposes.

Testifying as a defence witness for Najib at the 1MDB-Tanore trial here, Tay said that one of the six examinations she conducted on documents bearing Najib’s signatures showed a “strong probability” that Najib did not sign it.

“Based on the comparative analysis of handwriting, there is a strong probability that the writer of Specimen entries ‘S18 HW’ and ‘S28 HW’ did not write the Questioned handwritten entries ‘Q3-HW’,” she said.

She stated that one examination suggested Najib may have signed the document. The other four exams were inconclusive because she only received photocopies, not original documents.

“Several dissimilarities were identified. But, (to get) a definitive conclusion requires an examination of the original document,” she said.

Tay added that her conclusions were based only on the materials available at the time and could change if new evidence is presented. She also said that access to the original documents would allow for a more thorough analysis.

“It is strongly recommended that the original specimen and questioned documents be obtained to enable a more comprehensive analysis. Examination of original materials would allow a more accurate assessment of handwriting characteristics, ink properties, and other forensic indicators that may not be apparent from reproduced or low-quality images,” she said.

The documents she analysed, which had Najib’s signatures, included Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) minutes and 1MDB meeting minutes.

Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah that he may call one more witness, a Bukit Aman officer, on Tuesday before resting the defence’s case.

If he finishes with handwriting expert Tay, only one more witness will be needed before the case is closed.

Najib is on trial over the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state investment fund he founded in 2009. This case is commonly referred to as the 1MDB-Tanore trial, named after the Tanore Finance Corporation, an offshore entity through which a portion of the funds allegedly flowed.

He faces 25 charges in this trial — four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering — involving funds alleged to have entered his personal bank accounts between 2011 and 2014.

If convicted on all charges, Najib could face decades in prison. Each abuse of power charge carries a potential 20-year sentence, while each money laundering charge carries up to 15 years’ imprisonment, along with heavy fines.

This trial is separate from Najib’s SRC International case, in which he was convicted and is currently serving a reduced sentence of six years after receiving a royal pardon earlier this year.