KUALA LUMPUR – The High Court rejected Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s request in obtaining 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) documents related to the involvement of family members of former Bank Negara’s Governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
The court also rejected the prosecution’s request to present the documents and bank statements implicated with fugitive businessman, Low Taek Jho or Jho Low besides the classified agreements between the government and US Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs.
High Court Judge, Collin Lawrence Sequerah described the application as premature and irrelevant in the 1MDB case against Najib.
“I don’t see how the banking documents has anything to do with the acceptance of funds and Dr Zeti’s family are relevant to the defence,” he said.
Former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak left the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex after the proceeding of his 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption trial.
PIX: SYAFIQ AMBAK / MalaysiaGazette / 12 JULY 2021
Najib, who is also the Member of Parliament of Pekan and former Prime Minister was at the proceeding when the verdict of the request was read out by the judge.
On 24 March, Najib filed a motion of notice to request for the prosecution to provide several bank statements among other documents to the defence that he claimed are related to Jho Low and the family members of Zeti.
On 5 April, Najib’s defence team once again filed the request to get the confidential agreement between the Government of Malaysia and Goldman Sachs.
Goldman Sachs had allegedly reached an agreement with the Malaysian Government to pay US$2.5 billion (RM10.4 billion) in cash and 1MDB assets return guarantee worth US$1.4 billion (RM5.8 billion) seized globally.
In return, Malaysia would drop the criminal charges against the United States investment bank.
In an affidavit verified by Najib to support his application, he said that the revelation of the relationship on the Goldman Sachs settlement is vital in his defence and his rights in getting a fair trial.
Among the documents he requested were from Aktis Capital Singapore Limited, Country Groups Securities Public Companies, ACME Time Limited (BVI), Butamba Investment Limited, Central Holding Limited and several other relevant documents.
Collin also rejected Najib’s request in getting phone records from Goldman Sachs’s officer, Tim Leissner, after the prosecution insisted that they do not have the document.
Najib is currently facing 25 counts of power abuse and money laundering charges involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds deposited into his Ambank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
The proceeding will resume next month after it is adjourned due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19. –MalaysiaGazette
