A CENTRAL bank investigator today told the high court that Bank Negara obtained eight folders of documents from a raid at an AmBank branch in Kuala Lumpur more than three years ago. 

Azizul Adzani Abdul Ghafar said the raid took place on July 6, 2015, at an AmBank branch in Jalan Raja Chulan and that the branch manager, R. Uma Devi, handed over the documents that detailed the opening of accounts related to SRC International.

Of the eight folders, four were related to accounts opened by Najib Razak, three by SRC International and one by SRC International subsidiary Gadingan Mentari. The accounts were opened between 2011 and 2015. 

Earlier, defence lawyer Harvinderjit Singh cross-examined the first witness, Companies Commission of Malaysia assistant registrar Muhamad Akmaluddin Abdullah.  

Harvinderjit requested verification from Akmaluddin that Azlin Alias, Najib’s special officer for economic affairs, was an SRC International director until he died in a helicopter crash on April 4, 2015. 

Azlin’s death came three months before police began raiding 1Malaysia Development Bhd offices over allegations that millions from the state fund flowed into Najib’s accounts. 

Harvinderjit questioned Akmaluddin on the transfer of 999,998 SRC International shares to 1MDB Energy a few months before documents were received by the Companies Commission in August 2011.

Akmaluddin also confirmed that former SRC International director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and former chief investment officer Vincent Koh Beng Huat had shares in the company as of January 4, 2011.

Akmaluddin said that during the establishment of SRC International, its shares were not owned by 1MDB.

Today’s hearing was presided over by Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali. Attorney-General Tommy Thomas lead the prosecution, which comprised deputy public prosecutors V. Sithambaram and Suhaimi Ibrahim.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is leading the defence. 

Najib, dressed in a black suit, sat in the dock and appeared calm during the proceedings. When the court was not in session, he was seen reading a non-fiction paperback titled Dunia Tanpa Tembok by Ayman Rashdan Wong. He also had another paperback, Jangan Selewengkan Ekonomi Malaysia by Helmi Effendy.

The former prime minister did not speak to reporters and was greeted by 10 supporters after the court broke for lunch. – April 15, 2019.