A MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission team to Riyadh met a Saudi prince, who purportedly signed four letters acknowledging donations from the Saudi royal family to Najib Razak, but did not get to question him, the court heard today. 

MACC investigating officer Fikri Ab Rahim said he was part of a five-man team that travelled to the Saudi city on November 29, 2015 with the intent of questioning one Prince Saud Abdulaziz Majid Al Saud.

The team met a man identified as the prince at the Riyadh Royal Palace, the witness testified at the SRC International trial today. However, the man left without recording a statement.

Fikri said MACC officers had checked his passport to verify his identity. It was then that the prince went into another room while his appointed representative, a lawyer named Mohammad Abdullah Al Koman, remained to give a statement on his behalf.  

Abdullah confirmed there were donations to Najib.

Fikri also testified that the lawyer would occasionally leave the room during the statement to take further instructions from the prince who was in another room.

Fikri said the prince did not wish to be directly interviewed because he had royal immunity.

When examined by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the witness confirmed that there was authorisation from the royal family. 

He reiterated that MACC officers checked the prince’s passport and that the lawyer was indeed authorised to represent him and has taken instructions from the prince while giving the statement. 

Fikri also spoke of being given the VIP treatment. When they went to perform the umrah pilgrimage, they were flown in a private jet from Riyadh to Jeddah. 

Upon landing they had a full police escort into Mecca and had police and military protection during the pilgrimage, the witness testified. 

They also used the government entrance to avoid the crowds in the Holy Mosque. When questioned why they had this privilege, Fikri testified that it was because they were guests of the Saudi government.

When cross-examined by ad hoc prosecutor V. Sithambaram, the witness said that the prince did not personally sign the MACC document confirming he signed the four letters of acknowledgement.

The MACC statement was signed by the prince’s lawyer Abdullah, said Fikri, corroborating the statement of another witness, MACC officer Mohd Nasharuddin Amir, last week.  

When probed further on why the MACC team could not directly contact the prince, Fikri said it was because of royal immunity.

“We could not just approach the prince and take his statement, we were told,” said the witness.

Meanwhile, Fikri confirmed that he questioned former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil on October 17, 2015 in Jakarta.

Nik Faisal, through his lawyer, Selva Mookiah, said he agreed to be questioned on the condition that he was not arrested, said the witness. 

Nik Faisal remains a fugitive today.

Selva was brought to court to be identified today.

Shafee told the court that Selva would not be called as a witness as he had delivered what he promised to to Fikri.

Fikri said former SRC International director Suboh Md Yassin was questioned on November 27, 2015 at a hotel in Abu Dhabi,where fugitive financier Low Taek Jho was also questioned.

Najib claims to have received donations from the Saudi royal family from 2011 to 2015.

He submitted as evidence four letters purportedly signed by Prince Saud Abdulaziz that were addressed to Ambank from 2011 to 2013.

The 66-year-old faces seven criminal charges for receiving RM42 million in SRC International funds between December 2014 and February 2015. He maintains that he was under the impression that the sum came from Saudi royals.

Prosecutors have said the funds are linked to 1MDB, and that Najib conspired with others to defraud the entity, including its former subsidiary, SRC International.

The trial before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali resumes tomorrow.