PUTRAJAYA: The prosecution witnesses in Datuk Seri Najib Razak‘s RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) graft trial only blamed others to absolve themselves of wrongdoing, the High Court was told.
Najib’s lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin said this was evident from the testimonies of former 1MDB CEOs Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, and former chief financial officer Azmi Tahir.
In his submissions, Wan Azwan said the three key prosecution witnesses’ inclination to “shift the blame” was a deliberate attempt to conceal their own crimes.
According to the lawyer, Shahrol Azral had previously claimed that Exhibit P52 (a letter requesting the immediate issuance of a letter of support for 1MDB’s joint venture with Aabar Investments) was prepared by 1MDB’s legal counsel Jasmine Loo.
“However, Loo, when giving her testimony, told the court she could not recall preparing such a letter,” he said on Monday (Oct 27).
Wan Azwan also referred to another instance where several other documents were allegedly approved by the Ministry of Finance under Section 6 of the Loans Guarantee (Bodies Corporate) Act 1965.
“When Loo was still in hiding, Shahrol Azral claimed that she had obtained Datuk Seri Najib’s signature, but Loo has completely denied that allegation.
“If there is a pattern emerging from the prosecution witnesses’ testimonies, it can be summarised into three main points: blame Najib, blame the late Datuk Azlin Alias (Najib’s former principal private secretary), and shift the blame to those who have fled,” he said.
Najib is facing four counts of using his position to obtain gratification amounting to RM2.28bil from 1MDB’s funds, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The abuse of power offences were allegedly committed at an AmIslamic Bank Bhd branch, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.
Meanwhile, the money laundering offences were allegedly committed at the same location between March 22 and Aug 30, 2013.
Najib has been serving his prison sentence since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted in a separate criminal trial over the misappropriation of RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Submissions resume before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Tuesday (Oct 28).
