FORMER prime minister Najib Razak had opened and closed five accounts with AmBank at its Raja Chulan branch in Kuala Lumpur between January 13, 2011 and March 9, 2015, his trial heard today.

Witness R. Uma Devi, who is the branch manager, told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that Najib had four current accounts and a savings account.

When questioned by deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim, the witness said the savings account was opened on January 18, 2011 and closed on August 30, 2013.

One of the current accounts was opened on January 13, 2011, and the other three on July 31, 2013, she added. 

She said the first current account was closed on August 30, 2013, while the other three accounts were closed on March 9, 2015.

She then confirmed that two accounts – one savings and one current – had RM12,436,711.83 and RM82.63, and were closed on August 30, 2013.

Uma said the branch had received a letter from Najib to authorise SRC International director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil to handle three of his accounts. 

“Nik Faisal was authorised to handle cheque books in a letter to the AmBank branch manager.”

She said SRC International’s subsidiary Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd had opened a current account with the branch on July 23, 2014, for which Nik Faisal and Suboh Md Yassin were the authorised signatories.

She added that Gandingan Mentari, based on its account statement for the period between July 23, 2014 and Aug 16, 2015, had received three money transfers from SRC International.

The three transactions were on December 24, 2014 for RM40 million, and RM5 million each on February 5 and February 6, 2015, and the directives to transfer were signed by Nik Faisal and Suboh. 

Uma Devi said Gandingan Mentari’s account statement during the same period showed that the company had transferred RM40 million to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd on December 24, 2014.

Ihsan Perdana is another SRC International subsidiary.  

She added that AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap had sent an email dated December 24, 2014, asking the branch to abide by an order letter from SRC International to transfer RM40 million to Gandingan Mentari. 

Najib is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power over funds amounting to RM42 million linked to SRC International.

Kuala Lumpur High Court justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is presiding over the trial. – April 24, 2019