NAJIB Razak’s personal account received RM2.6 billion between 2011 and 2013, AmBank manager R. Uma Devi testified at the former prime minister’s SRC International trial today.

The account, 211-202-200969-4, was one of Najib’s older accounts at AmBank and was not named in the seven criminal charges filed by prosecutors.

Defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh, while cross-examining Uma today, said documents showed that RM1.9 billion was transferred into the account in 2013, but part of it was returned.

The account was opened on January 13, 2011, and closed on August 30, 2013.

Harvinderjit asked Uma to verify that Najib received RM304 million from Prince Faisal bin Turki of Saudi Arabia via the kingdom’s finance ministry in 2011.

Uma acknowledged the transfer and agreed that movement of such a large amount would require compliance from Bank Negara.

Harvinderjit told the court that large amounts of money were transferred from the prince and Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners between 2011 and 2013.

Harvinderjit then produced a letter that allegedly instructed that US$620 million in “unused donations and gifts” be returned.

He then asked Uma if the bank acknowledges the money as ‘gifts and donations’, to which Uma Devi replied in the affirmative.

Uma said the account had a balance of RM756 million in 2012.

He then asked Uma if those documents allowed former SRC International director and CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil to make internal transfers between the three accounts, and if she could tell if it’s signed by Najib.

Uma agreed that she could not.

Uma is the 21st prosecution witness.

In February, US Department of Justice claimed that US$681 million was transferred from Tanore Finance Corp to his personal bank account under false pretences.

Najib has denied wrongdoing.

Bank Negara raided the AmBank branch in Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, which Uma heads, just four days after the Wall Street Journal broke a story that US$681 million was channelled into Najib’s personal account.

The money was alleged to have been stolen from 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

A total of RM4 billion was funnelled into SRC International between 2011 and 2012, after which RM42 million eventually made its way into Najib Razak’s bank accounts.

Najib faces three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power over those funds.

Najib may face trial in May for 25 separate criminal charges relating to 1MDB.

He is represented by a dozen lawyers led by prominent legal figure Shafee Abdullah.

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution while Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is presiding.

The trial continues tomorrow. – April 29, 2019.