KUALA LUMPUR – The High Court resumes the RM9.5 million money-laundering and providing false statement to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) trial involving Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today.
The monies were allegedly given to the renowned lawyer by former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Today, two witnesses from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) gave their testimonies on the investigation towards Muhammad Shafee.
During the cross-examination today, the two witnesses revealed that Muhammad Shafee said that the RM9.5 million was the payment for legal services given to Najib and Barisan Nasional (BN).
According to the 4th witness, Mohd Nasharudin Amir, the accused told MACC that two payments were made via two cheques amounting to RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million each and they were payments for legal advises to Najib by Muhammad Shafee.
“Based on the answer given by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the monies were payment for his advice given to the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“The two cheques amounting RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million were given by Datuk Seri Najib. The advice was also given to Datuk Seri Najib’s party, UMNO.
“The two cheques, according to Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee, had no relation to the second sodomy appeal case of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said before High Court Judge, Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin.
The witness continued to say that the accused also revealed that he has used the money to buy a house at Bukit Tunku at RM9.5 million.
Nasharuddin also said that the accused never asked or knew about the source of funds used to pay for his service.
Meanwhile, the fifth witness, MACC Strategic Communications Officer, Zulfaqar Mohd Khalil told the court that the accused repeated his statement during the verbal testimony taken by him on 11 September 2018 at the MACC Headquarters, that the RM9.5million was paid to him for his legal service tendered to BN for Election petitions between 2004 and 2006.
“I showed Muhammad Shafee the copy of appointment letter as Deputy Public Prosecutor around 22 May 2014. He told me that the then Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail appointed him as the Deputy Public Prosecutor for Anwar’s sodomy case.
“However, the accused that that the RM9.5 million had nothing to do with the sodomy appeal case of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Muhammad Shafee also said that he used the money to buy a three-storey bungalow,” he said.
Earlier, the Attorney-General’s Chamber, through its affidavit reported that Najib, the then Prime Minister paid RM9.5 million to Muhammad Shafee between 2013 and 2014. -MalaysiaGazette
