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RM60.6 million credited into Najib's personal account in 2011, bank officer tells court

RM30,449,929.97 was credited into the former prime minister's account on Feb 24 and RM30,179,909.46 on June 14, 2011.

Reuters
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Former prime minister Najib Razak is escorted at the Kuala Lumpur court complex today. Photo: Bernama
Former prime minister Najib Razak is escorted at the Kuala Lumpur court complex today. Photo: Bernama

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that RM60.6 million was credited in two transactions into former prime minister Najib Razak's personal account at AmIslamic Bank in 2011.

Ambank (M) Bhd Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R Uma Devi, 43, said based on the statement of an account ending with the number 694, RM30,449,929.97 was credited into the former prime minister's account on Feb 24 and RM30,179,909.46 on June 14, 2011.

"I confirm that this document (account statement) of AmIslamic Bank Bhd in the name of Najib was printed from a computer belonging to AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan Branch," she said.

Uma Devi was reading out her witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam in the Pekan MP’s trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.

Referring to the form on the opening of a personal account under Najib's name on Jan 13, 2011, Uma Devi, the 37th prosecution witness, said Najib was the sole signatory of the cheques issued.
 
"This account (ending 694) was opened with a deposit of RM500 only. The legal signatory for this personal account was Najib Razak himself for the cheques. This means, only he could sign cheques and do business through this account," she said. 

She said that in 2013, Najib submitted a letter, dated Aug 26, 2013, to the bank’s branch manager to close his current and savings accounts ending 694 and 481, respectively, and instructed the bank to transfer the money in the accounts amounting to RM150 million to his other account, that is AmPrivate Banking–1MY.

Uma Devi said the letter also stated that all unused cheques would be returned to the bank and that he (Najib) would not issue any cheques from the account after it was closed.

"Another instruction in the letter was to debit the remaining amount from those accounts for the issuance of a bank draft in the name of AmPrivate Banking-1MY," she said, adding that there had been an attachment enclosed with the letter – a money transfer slip that had been processed by the bank as instructed.

"Based on the (money transfer) slip, RM12,436,711.87 was transferred to the AmPrivate Banking-1MY account on Aug 30, 2013, whereby the account (AmPrivate Banking) belonged to Najib, which was opened at the Jalan Raja Chulan branch on July 31, 2013," she added.

Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues next Monday.