IT was an article by Sarawak Report that sparked a 2015 investigation into allegations of misappropriation of public funds at SRC International, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior assistant commissioner Rosli Husain told the court the article was used as the basis to open an investigation paper at 11.30am, July 2, 2015, the same day Sarawak Report ran the article.

The Sarawak Report article was entitled SENSATIONAL FINDINGS! – Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Personal Accounts Linked To 1MDB Money Trail MALAYSIA EXCLUSIVE!

Rosli said it was not articles from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) which sparked investigations into SRC International.

When cross-examined by defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh, Rosli said he was not referred to the WSJ report, Investigators believe money flowed to Malaysian leader Najib’s accounts amid 1MDB probe, published on July 2, 2015.

Rosli said he did not come into contact with Sarawak Report editor Clare-Rewcastle Brown nor did he order his subordinates to contact her.

Rosli, who was made the investigating officer of the SRC International probe on July 6, 2015, denied knowledge of any leak to the media.

Harvinderjit: Do you know who leaked these documents from the bank? Why didn’t you investigate the leak?

Rosli: I don’t know who leaked the documents. An investigation on this should be carried out by the police.

Harvinderjit: So, (the source of the leaks) was outside the scope of your task?

Rosli: I just focused on my investigation.

Sarawak Report was blocked by the government in July 2015 and an arrest warrant was issued for Rewcastle-Brown that year for carrying out activities “detrimental to parliamentary democracy”.

The Immigration Department barred her from entering the country, a travel ban that was lifted days after the May 9 elections when Pakatan Harapan swept into power.

Case reopened after GE14

On July 6, 2015, days after articles on 1MDB were published by Sarawak Report and WSJ, Bank Negara officers raided an AmBank branch in Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.

The bank held the private accounts of then prime minister Najib Razak as well as the company accounts of SRC International.

Documents and electronic devices seized from the raid were handed over to MACC. Rosli said the investigation paper was handed to the MACC director on December 31, 2015.

The case was reopened last year after the May 9 general election and several witnesses were recalled for additional statements, the last of which was Bank Negara digital forensic analyst Shuzairizman Shuib whose statement was recorded in May this year. 

Shuzairizman was the officer responsible for extracting information from seized devices, including a BlackBerry belonging to AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu, one of the central figures in the trial. 

Rosli said Yu was questioned five times in 2015 and the last time on June 12, 2018.

Yu cooperated with MACC in May this year to identify members of a BlackBerry chat group, which included fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho and former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

Rosli also reiterated that he had questioned Low in Abu Dhabi on November 27, 2015. Low and Nik Faisal remain at large after reneging on a promise to return to Malaysia to assist in the SRC International trial.

Defence lawyers have previously suggested that Low worked with bankers, and possibly with senior SRC International executives, to defraud the government entity of millions. 

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 accounts in 2014 and 2015.

The 66-year-old is charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power. – August 20, 2019.