A DIGITAL media consultant testified that she received a RM2 million cheque from Najib Razak for digital services that included managing his personal websites, social media accounts and other online activities.

Noorhaina Diarwani Mohd Nor told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that her company, Orb Solutions Sdn Bhd, was paid RM2 million in August 2013.

Orb Solutions, where Noorhaina was CEO, was named in a money-laundering charge against Najib. The RM2 million payment was made through an AmIslamic bank cheque and transacted on August 12, 2013, the charge read. 

Noorhaina, the fourth prosecution witness, could not recall which of her administrative staff received the cheque but said the payment was routine to fund day-to-day operations.

When shown the cheque by the prosecution, she identified the signature as Najib’s.

The witness said that in 2008, she came into contact with Najib’s officer, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, who offered her to run a team of contractors to perform digital communications for the then deputy prime minister, as government agencies were then slower to adopt digital communications.

“Traditional media is not enough,” she said when examined by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram. 

“This was 2008 and the BN government had already experienced reduced victory from the previous election,” Noorhaina said, adding that there was a belief at the time that the opposition had used the online sphere more effectively than the government.

She said the government then also looked at social media and online communication “with a lot of suspicion and distrust.”

“Therefore, it was believed in order to harness the potential of online communication, it had to be done in an online and personal capacity rather than in a government capacity.”

In August 2013, Noorhaina said she took up an offer to join the Prime Minister’s Department, serving as a main liaison for Orb Solutions as a digital agency.

She left in October 2014 after a falling out with Amhari. Her job had paid RM24,000 per month. 

Cross-examined by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Noorhaina agreed with his suggestion that nothing she did was for Najib’s personal benefit.  

Najib faces four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money-laundering charges involving RM2.3 billion in 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.

Earlier, three witnesses had taken the stand, they were Farizah Ahmad, the deputy secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, its accountant Natasha Rahimah Haryati Mohamad and Parliament staff Farah Nurdiana Azhar. 

Farizah confirmed Najib’s appointment letter as prime minister and finance minister, whereas Natasha confirmed that Najib’s gross monthly salary as prime minister was RM58,605.15. 

She said in May 2018, he was given a special RM1 million one-off payment for as retiring prime minister, which was in accordance to the law. Natasha also testified that the payment was banked in to his official Affin Bank account.

Farah also testified on Najib’s Parliament allowances. 

The hearing continues tomorrow before high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah. – August 28, 2019.