FORMER Malaysian Anti-Corruption (MACC) chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad had alerted Najib Razak to possible charges against him in early 2016 based on investigation papers the anti-graft agency had submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

A recording of a January 5, 2016 conversation at 11.56pm between Dzulkifli, who was at the time a prosecution officer with the AGC, and Najib, was released by the MACC today.

MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya said this amounted to “an obvious leaking of information from the AGC to the person who is the subject of investigation. That is one serious issue of leakage.”

At the time of the conversation, former Federal Court judge Mohamed Apandi Ali had already been made attorney-general, replacing Abdul Gani Patail who was abruptly dismissed in July 2015, just months ahead of his mandatory retirement in October.

The MACC chief commissioner then was Abu Kassim Mohamad, who only announced his desire to resign in June 2016. He stepped down in August that year and was replaced by Dzulkifli.

Abu Kassim in 2015 had already begun to investigate 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal and by the time of Dzulkifli’s conversation with Najib in January 2016, had proposed that Najib be charged.

The following is a transcript of Dzulkifli’s conversation with Najib, conducted in sombre tones with many pauses in between, with Najib appearing to sound very disturbed.

Dzulkifli first spoke to Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, before she handed the phone to her husband.

The transcript has been translated from Bahasa Melayu and edited for brevity and clarity.

Dzulkifli: I want to meet with Datuk Seri (Najib) to update him about the investigation papers which have been sent to the AGC. It’s not very good.

Rosmah: Aren’t there 3 names mentioned?

Dzulkifli: No, it’s Datuk Seri’s name.

Rosmah: Datuk Seri’s name?

Dzulkifli: Yes.

Rosmah: How can this be?

Dzulkifli: That’s why I want to update him.

(Phone is handed to Najib)

Dzulkifli: Datuk Seri, we received the investigation papers yesterday. The proposal is not very good, Datuk Seri.

Najib: How can this be, I was told differently.

Dzulkifli: The IPs (investigation papers) are with me. I look at them and I feel like crying.

Najib: I cannot be involved at all.

Dzulkifli: Mashaallah, but how, Datuk Seri. It is very clear, the IPs. They have sent them to the attorney-general.

Najib: How is it that I was told differently.

Dzulkifli: What were you told?

Najib: I was informed that there would be nothing.

Dzulkifli: Ya Allah. This is why I want to have an audience with you, because after I saw the IP, I felt like crying, I didn’t think it would come to this extent…

Najib: (Inaudible)… now it has come out.

Dzulkifli: That’s why I want to have an audience with you.

Najib: I’ll meet the A-G and ask him.

Dzulkifli: Let him update Datuk Seri. It (the papers) is with me now. I have taken them. There’s no problem for us, I just wanted to update Datuk Seri first about what MACC has proposed.

Najib: (inaudible)… if this gets out, it won’t be good.

Dzulkifli: That is what we are worried about. We can handle things on the legal side. A-G Apandi can handle, I can handle. But I didn’t think the extent of things would be this serious.

Najib: How come things are happening differently.

Dzulkifli: I am sorry Datuk Seri, you were played.

Najib: (inaudible)

Dzulkifli: Is it better for me to tell you or does Datuk Seri want to meet Apandi (inaudible)

Najib: Has Apandi seen it?

Dzulkifli: Apandi… he saw it briefly, yesterday.

Najib: Was he shocked?

Dzulkifli: He was shocked. Yesterday he was already “pening” (stressed). He’s not very happy. We are thinking of what plan, what to do. There is no issue on the legal side, we can support. The problem is as you said… (inaudible).

Najib: (inaudible)… this is Abu Kassim’s doing.

Dzulkifli: I have other things to brief you. Police have met me about the 1MDB issue. (inaudible)

Najib: (inaudible)

Dzulkifli: (inaudible, sighs heavily). There’s a lot I want to explain. This case is strange because if you see the press release, he said the IP was tabled to a special panel. We were puzzled when was this special panel established? Why the need for a special panel when it should be sent to the A-G? This special panel agrees with MACC’s view. (Inaudible)

Najib: (inaudible)… Who leaked it?

Dzulkifli: This is very bad, very bad. We don’t know who leaked it. The special panel has five people. We don’t know who might have leaked it… (inaudible)… This is very shocking. (Sighs)

Najib: (inaudible)

Dzulkifli: I was also told by a police investigating officer that at a meeting at Gani’s house, Abu Kassim told the A-G to just press charges because Tan Sri (Abdul Gani Patail) is about to retire. Those were the words used by Abu Kassim to Gani Patail…(inaudible). It is as if Abu Kassim was instigating. Now Abu Kassim cannot say he wasn’t involved in this decision. – January 8, 2020.