KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 15): Former Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) chief executive officer Ung Su Ling said she only learned that monies transferred for corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects ended up in Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal accounts from news reports.
Testifying in SRC International Sdn Bhd and its subsidiary Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd's RM42 million civil suit against the ex-prime minister, Ung said that in September 2014, Najib's former principal private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias, had informed her that in the coming months funds would be transferred to "a bank account maintained" by Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd (IPSB).
Ung added that Azlin instructed her to direct IPSB's managing director Datuk Seri Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman as to where the funds would be transferred.
"At the material time, I did not have any visibility as to how the funds were utilised. I can only be certain that I had followed [Azlin's] instructions to instruct Shamsul to disburse the RM42 million into the specific AmBank accounts, that is, the '880 and '906 accounts.
"However, based on media reports and the decision [in Najib's SRC criminal case], I understand the '880 and '906 accounts in which the funds were transferred to be the personal bank accounts of [Najib]," she said.
She added that she could confirm the source of the funds did not belong to YR1M which she was overseeing but learnt that they originated from SRC via media reports.
YR1M was a charity organisation established in January 2013. It was conceived by Najib per principles of his 1Malaysia vision, to uplift the quality of life of those in need.
It was overseen by a board of trustees comprising four people which included Azlin, former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin and the PM's then special officer Datuk Wan Ahmad Shihab Wan Ismail. Among others, the trustees were in charge of approving any proposed social programmes and the budget.
YR1M had been working with IPSB in 2013 as well to carry out CSR projects.
On Friday, Ung recounted that during the meeting with Azlin in September 2014, Azlin had told her that the funds were meant for CSR programmes.
"I did not think to inquire further since the late Datuk Azlin mentioned that it was for CSR purposes and I took his word for it.
"I had no reason to doubt him given our working relationship," she said.
She went on to testify that following the meeting, Azlin messaged her via WhatsApp in December 2014 for her to instruct Shamsul to transfer RM27 million to an AmIslamic account named “AmPrivate Banking — 1MY” (Account 880) and RM5 million to an AmIslamic account named "AmPrivate Banking — MY” (Account 906).
In February 2015, Azlin instructed her to tell Shamsul to transfer a sum of RM10 million to Account '880.
During cross-examination by lawyer Muhammad Farhan Shafee, Ung also said that "at times instructions would come from Najib via Azlin". She added: "I didn't ask why."
When asked if she had checked whether there were proper approvals before passing along any instructions, Ung merely answered: "It's not my place. If you were to give money to someone, [it's] not my place to enquire right?"
Ung, who served as the CEO of the organisation from January 2013 to May 2018, is the first witness in this civil case.
On Friday, she also confirmed that YR1M had received a grant of approximately RM210 million from 1MDB after YR1M’s formation in 2013 as well as approximately RM230 million from the Genting group of companies and RM3 million from Petronas.
The trial before judge Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan resumes on Sept 8.
SRC and its subsidiary Gandingan Mentari want the return of RM42 million that went into Najib's private accounts in SRC’s second civil action against him.
In another suit, SRC is seeking a declaration from the court that he is liable to account for the company's losses of US$1.18 billion due to breach of duties and trust.