THE RM42 million transferred to Najib Razak’s personal accounts from Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd in 2014 and 2015 were intended for corporate social responsibility (CSR) purposes, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Accounts manager Aishah Ghazali, a former senior accounts executive at Ihsan Perdana, confirmed that SRC International’s CSR unit received RM50 million between 2014 and 2015.

She testified that in those years, several transactions amounting to RM42 million were made within days of receiving the money to two AmBank private accounts, numbered 211-202-201190-6 and 211-202-201188-0, which were identified by a previous witness as belonging to Najib.

“I am made to understand all the transfers were intended for CSR purposes,” she told the hearing today, presided by Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Najib, who was prime minister and finance minister during that period, faces seven criminal charges relating to receiving the money in his accounts, which prosecutors said were funnelled from RM4 billion in loans to SRC International.

Aishah told the court that Ihsan Perdana held an Affin Bank account with the number 10-618-000110-8. She said Ihsan Perdana was formed in 2011 and was previously known as Gem Horizon Sdn Bhd.

The company carried out CSR work for hire, including for Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M), she said.

Aishah said she reported to managing director Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman and financial director Abdul Aziz Ismail in all company matters.

Both men are signatories for all document approvals, said Aishah, who worked at Ihsan Perdana from December 2011 to March 2015. 

Aishah said that on December 26, 2014, she was ordered by Shamsul to prepare a remittance form for the transfer of Ihsan Perdana funds.

“I was referred by Shamsul to an email that he printed out. The email was received by Shamsul from Ung Su Ling, who I know as one of YR1M’s representatives.”

She said the email contained information of the receiving account and directions by Shamsul to make the transfer.

“I made two remittance forms as directed. I referred to the money transfers dated December 26, 2014, for Affin Bank for RM27 million from ISPB account to Ambank account 211-202-201188-0, which bore the name ‘AmPrivate Banking-1MY’.”

On the same day, she said she transferred RM5 million from Ihsan Perdana to an AmBank private banking account number 211-202-201190-6. The transfers were recorded by Aishah under “CSR programmes”.

Aishah said she obtained both Shamsul and Aziz’s signatures for the remittance forms.

“I then went to the Affin Bank branch at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, to hand over the remittance forms to be processed.

“After I returned to the IPSB office, I was directed by Shamsul to check on who the receiving account holders were. I called Affin Bank and was informed that the bank did not have such information. I informed the same to Shamsul.”

She said she was informed by Shamsul on February 9, 2015, to transfer RM10 million to an AmBank private account ending in the numbers “880”, which Aishah filed under “Fund transfer for CSR programmes”.

After handing in the remittance forms, she said Shamsul again asked her to verify the identity of the holder of the receiving account at AmBank.

“I wasn’t sure if I contacted Affin Bank or not, but I am sure that I informed Shamsul that Affin Bank did not have such information.”

She said she was tasked by Shamsul to send a copy of the remittance form for the RM10 million transfer to Ung via email, which she did the same day.

Under cross-examination by the defence, Aishah said  that RM50 million was received from the company account of Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of SRC International.

Najib is represented by a dozen lawyers led by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution. – May 15, 2019.