AT Najib Razak’s SRC International trial last week, an investigator testified that enforcement authorities were aware of transactions amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit that flowed from a mystery Saudi prince to the former prime minister’s account beginning in 2011.

The prosecution’s final witness, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) assistant commissioner (special operations) Rosli Husain told the court that enforcement authorities knew that Najib received close to RM400 million from a Saudi prince in 2011.

When cross-examined by the defence, Rosli said the money was transferred into Najib’s personal AmBank account ending with “694”, and that it originated from a Prince Faisal Turki Al Faisal Al Saud.

Rosli also said another transaction to Najib’s account, amounting to more than RM200 million, came from Saudi Arabia’s finance ministry.

He was not questioned further on the matter by the defence.

The witness has yet to be re-examined by prosecutors, who may seek clarification on when MACC learnt of the transactions and how much investigators had discovered since, regarding the sources of the fund.

Prince Faisal was previously reported to be linked to Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners, a 1MDB-linked company that has been mentioned in court.

Several media reports have questioned the existence of the prince. 

Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners – which has no connection with the hedge fund Blackstone Group – will be one of the central focus areas in the coming 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial, where Najib faces 25 criminal charges linked to RM2.3 billion of public funds.

Najib’s seven criminal charges in the ongoing SRC International trial are linked to RM4 billion in government loans issued to the entity in 2011 and 2012, for which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his bank accounts in 2014 and 2015.

Defence lawyers have suggested that Najib may have been under the impression that the RM42 million in his accounts were part of donations due to transactions amounting to hundreds of millions into other accounts a few years prior.

Defence lawyers last week had repeatedly suggested that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, was behind a scheme to defraud SRC International of millions, a claim that Rosli, who was the case lead investigator, consistently denied.

Rosli had dismissed a suggestion that Najib is being wrongly accused of crimes allegedly carried out by Penang-born Low.

He also dismissed suggestions he and others at the anti-graft agency were pressured to pin the blame on Najib after investigations re-opened following the May 9 polls, when Barisan Nasional was routed from power.

“This was my case, where I was tasked to investigate the number one man in the country. Also, I have to look out for my credibility,” Rosli told the court.

During the week, Rosli told the court that when Najib was questioned in 2015 and 2018, he had not denied that the signatures on bank documents used to carry out transactions were his.

“All these documents were shown to Najib (during MACC investigations) and he confirmed that the signatures were his. There were no denials on his part,” said Rosli.

Najib was questioned on December 5, 2015; May 22, 2018; and May 24, 2018.   

Sarawak Report trigger investigations

Investigations into SRC International and 1MDB were sparked following an article by Sarawak Report, and not The Wall Street Journal, which also published a report on July 2, 2015, said Rosli.

The article, titled “SENSATIONAL FINDINGS! – Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Personal Accounts Linked To 1MDB Money Trail MALAYSIA EXCLUSIVE!”, was used as the basis to open an investigation paper the same day the article was published.

Rosli said neither he, nor his subordinates, contacted Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

He, who was made investigating officer in the probe on July 6, 2015, denied knowledge of leaks to the media.

Rosli did confirm that the RM3.3 million expenditure charged to Najib’s credit cards on August 8, 2014, at jeweller De Grisogono in Italy, were for the wife of a former Qatari prime minister.

Rosli said this was confirmed by Najib when he was questioned.

The defence then showed the court a letter of appreciation from Noor Abdulaziz Abdulla Turki Al-Subaie, wife of Shaikh Hamad Jassim Jabr Al Thani, who was then Qatar’s prime minister.

The letter, dated August 15, 2014, was addressed to Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Rosli told the court this was the first time he had seen the letter and that it was not mentioned when the MACC questioned Rosmah.

Ad hoc public prosecutor V. Sithambaram said the letter could not be included as evidence, and challenged its veracity.

“I hope you’re calling her (to the stand) to prove this,” Sithambaram said, referring to Noor Abdulaziz.

Najib is charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power.

Najib’s legal team is led by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution while Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali presides. – August 25, 2019.