THE prosecution in Najib Razak’s 1MDB corruption trial established today that billions of ringgit raised by the sovereign wealth fund ended up in the former prime minister’s bank accounts.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram produced charts in court this morning to show a complex money trail that ended in Najib’s two bank accounts at Ambank.

The charts showed that RM2.28 billion in total of 1MDB’s money was transferred into Najib’s accounts between 2011 and 2014. This was also established in Sri Ram’s opening statement.

The exhibits were shown to the prosecution’s 13th witness, Ismee Ismail, who under e-examination corroborated that money had indeed ended up in Najib’s AmPriva Banking account and AmIslamic Bank account.

Sri Ram showed the witness several charts demonstrating how money 1MBD had raised from US$5 billion of Islamic medium-term loans (IMTN) had ended up in one of Najib’s bank accounts.

Of the US$5 billion raised from the IMTN, US$700 million was diverted to Good Star limited, a company controlled by Low Taek Jho. From there, the money flowed through several accounts before landing in Najib’s private account.

From Good Star, the money flowed through the accounts of Tarek Obaid and Prince Turki Abdullah, the co-founders of PetroSaudi International Ltd.

Sri Ram: (From the chart) you see there are two transactions, one on February 24, 2011, for US$9.99 million (RM30 million at the time) and a second transaction on June 14, 2011 for US$9.99 million. Both flowed into an AmPrivate Banking account ending in 694.

Sri Ram: Do you know whose account that is personally?

Ismee: No, I don’t.

Sri Ram proceeded to show Ismee several documents which showed money going into the account belonging to Najib that ended with the numbers “694”.

Sri Ram: These two documents confirmed that part of the US$700 million went into Najib’s account?

Ismee: Yup.

Sri Ram: The suggestion which was put to you (by the defence) that he did not receive any benefit from this IMTN, would you now like to review your answer? Having seen this document would you like to review your answers?

Ismee: From what I see here, I can see the flow that went into 694.

Sri Ram: Which is the accused’s account?

Ismee: Yes

Sri Ram went on to question Ismee about the US$975 million loan 1MDB had received from Deutsche Bank for its energy units initial public offering (IPO).

The defence had previously shown Ismee a chart of the money trail of the US$975 million but it did not show the funds going into Najib’s account.

Sri Ram said it was an “incomplete” chart.

Sri Ram: If you look at the chart, you can see there is a transaction by Blackrock Commodities (Global) Ltd of US$1.2 billion in June 2014 to an AmPrivate Banking account ending 880. From Vista Equity, you will see five transactions beginning October 2014. If you add up the total, it will come up to RM45 million.  We want to know whose account ends in 880, this is the AmIslamic bank account. Can you confirm the account holder is the accused?

Ismee: Yes

Sri Ram:  Having looked at this chart, would you like to review your answer that the accused did not obtain any benefit?

Ismee: Yes.

Moving on, Sri Ram showed Ismee a chart which showed US$3 billion bonds, which 1MDB Energy said were raised from the Bank of New York Mellon Group for the purpose of the acquisition of Tanjung Energy and Mastika Lagenda, flowing into Najib’s private account.

About US$95 million went into the account of Low’s associate, Eric Tan, which was then transferred into Najib’s account.

Sri Ram:  From Tan’s account (there were) two transactions. You will find the first is for US$15 million and the second, for US$75 million, went into account 694. Having now seen these three exhibits, would you like to reconsider and review the answer under cross that the accused didn’t get any personal benefit?

Ismee: From the flowchart can see that the money went in 694.

Sri Ram: (Account) belonging to the accused?

Ismee: Yes

Sri Ram: This is 1MDB’s money?

Ismee: Yes

Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money-laundering involving the same amount. – April 7, 2022.