THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has allowed former prime minister Najib Razak to obtain documents relating to his accounts in AmBank in the ongoing SRC International trial.

Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said the ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would not be affected if the documents were given to the defence.

The judge said MACC should not prevent the bank from providing Najib with copies of his account and statements.

Nazlan said the defence can obtain documents relating only to the SRC International trial which have not been classified.

Defence lawyers earlier today made an oral submission for a court order to overturn a MACC directive to AmBank to stop giving Najib information on his accounts.

They are seeking documents, such as certified copies, cheque images and statements.

Nazlan said there are no provisions under the MACC Act 2009 and the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 that allowed the anti-graft body to prohibit the bank from providing the documents to Najib. 

Nazlan also ruled in favour of the defence on their submission that there were differences in the final witness statement of AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu and a draft version in January.

The prosecution had objected to the defence lawyers using Yu’s draft witness statement when cross-examining her.

Defence lawyers sought to show the court that the differences centred around the time when Yu first knew fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, which the defence said was earlier than stated in the final witness statement.

Yu, in her witness statement read out in court, said she had met Low in 2008, prior to managing accounts relating to 1Malaysia Development Bhd. 

Yu also later managed the accounts belonging to 1MDB subsidiary SRC International and Najib.

It was Low who contacted Yu in early January 2011, to enquire on the process for Najib to open bank accounts with AmBank. 

Low was at Najib’s residence in Kuala Lumpur and had ushered in AmBank group managing director Cheah Tek Kuang to open the accounts, the court heard last week. 

Najib’s charges are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International in 2011 and 2012, 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. The 66-year-old faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted. – July 23, 2019.