THE prosecution’s 54th witness, former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu, will return to the witness stand as Najib Razak’s SRC International trial enters its 43rd day today.

Defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh will continue his cross-examination of Yu, focusing on her relationship with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho and former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

Yu yesterday said she met both men in 2008, a year before 1Malaysia Development Berhad was formed.

She said she met Low when he was raising funds for Majestic Masterpiece Sdn Bhd.

This was before he was made special adviser to the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), a state wealth fund that was taken over by the Minister of Finance Inc in 2009.

Yu also met Nik Faisal during a deal when Saudi oil firm PetroSaudi International Ltd sought to acquire Utama Banking Group Bhd (UBG), held by Majestic Masterpiece. 

Yu said her communications with Low were usually to request that he expedited cash payments to prevent former prime minister Najib’s cheques from being dishonoured, adding she never took instructions from Low on other transactions.

She told the court she was asked to leave AmBank in 2015 where she worked for two decades.

This was due to increasing pressure following Bank Negara’s raid on the Raja Chulan branch in Kuala Lumpur on July 6, 2015.

The situation worsened after AmBank was fined RM53.7 million in November that year for failing to report suspicious transactions relating to Najib’s accounts.

Her fellow relationship managers Daniel Lee and Krystle Yap also left later, she said.

Yu also said she later took AmBank to court.

Yesterday, Najib’s lawyers won two rulings. The first allowed Najib to obtain documents from AmBank relating to his bank accounts. This ruling overturned a previous directive by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission that prevented the bank from handing over documents to the former prime minister. 

The second ruling allowed the defence to compare the draft witness statement Yu made in January with the finalised statement she signed and tendered to the court.

The defence is seeking to show the differences between the two versions, suggesting Yu knew Low earlier and had a closer relationship than what was admitted in her witness statement.

Najib’s charges are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International, for which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his personal accounts in 2014 and 2015.

He faces three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power.

Najib, 66, is represented by a dozen lawyers led by Mohd Shafee Abdullah.

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution while Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali presides.

The Malaysian Insight brings you today’s proceedings live:

9.30am: Nazlan allows for August 9 as the replacement date. Court is adjourned for the day.

9.28am:  Sithambaram assures Nazlan that there is every chance they will be able to complete the prosecution’s case by the stipulated August 16.

Nazlan allows an adjournment today. He asks for Harvinderjit’s medical certificate to be furnished tomorrow.

He also advises the defence to make arrangements for tomorrow either to continue Yu’s cross examination or carry on with a new witness.

9.27am: Nazlan asks if there are other lawyers available.

The defence tells the judge that he was not advised to carry on.

Ad hoc DPP V. Sithambaram tells Nazlan they should be able to complete the trial by August 16.

He also says they will be able to replace today with a hearing on August 9.

“We don’t want to be unfair to the defence,” says Sithambaram.

9.24am: Court is in session.

Shafee and Harvinderjit are not in court. A lawyer of the defence tells Nazlan that Harvinderjit has a medical certificate and Shafee is with another case.

The defence is seeking to vacate for today. – July 24, 2019.