CONVICTED former prime minister Najib Razak’s signatures were already present on documents even before they were put before 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) board of directors for approval, Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Former 1MDB director Ismee Ismail said the board would sign important documents without hesitation after they had seen that Najib had signed them.

The then prime minister was the chairman of the board of advisers to 1MDB, as well as the state-owned investment company’s sole shareholder.

“Almost all director circular resolutions that required the special right redeemable preference shareholders resolution approval were signed by Najib first, before I signed the former.

“As far as I remember, there were also some director circular resolutions that I signed with reference to the ordinary resolution and shareholders resolution documents, which had been signed by Najib without date.

“We would not question Najib’s decision as chairman of the board of advisers to 1MDB. Therefore, I would not hesitate to sign a director circular resolution when I saw that Najib had signed the shareholders resolution,” the 13th prosecution witness said.

The court heard that it was a common process in 1MDB that director circular resolution be distributed to the board when there were matters that required a quick decision without a board meeting.

Ismee said most of the decisions made through director circular resolution involved the process of investment, appointment, national security and other matters that required board’s approval.

The board signed the director circular resolution to agree to a proposal before it was taken for the approval of shareholders through ordinary resolution and shareholders resolution.

He said that Najib’s signature meant that the proposals have been approved by the highest party in 1MDB. 

“The board will only sign the director circular resolution to complete the process, although this is a reversal of the actual process.

“If Najib had signed, we would not have asked much and just continued to sign,” Ismee said.

He added that the director circular resolution would usually be handed to him either by the 1MDB chief executive officer (CEO) Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, 1MDB chief financial officer Azmi Tahir, 1MDB chief investment officer Vincent Beng Huat Koh or 1MDB legal counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan.

“My view is that if this director circular resolution was brought to me by individuals from the management, then it is already within the knowledge and control of Najib.

“I have no reason to suspect any wrongful intent or act otherwise,” Ismee said.

Previously, a former 1MDB CEO, Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, gave a similar testimony where he had witnessed Najib’s signature at the shareholder’s resolution before the company’s director circular resolution was tabled.

Najib, 68, is facing 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering regarding RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The trial continues before high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah. – November 17, 2021.