FORMER prime minister Najib Razak has never filed any legal suit against AmBank for “mishandling” his personal account, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today. 

Ambank Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi said there were no reports or lawsuits from Najib while he was an account holder. 

The 37th prosecution witness said this when questioned by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, who had interjected the bank manager to ask questions about Najib’s interest and concern on his accounts, while she was reading her witness statement. 

Sri Ram: Does your bank have a system where customers are sent bank statements at intervals?

Uma: Yes. Monthly intervals. 

Sri Ram: In the case of the accused, did he ever complain about the statement of his account to the bank?

Uma: To my knowledge, even in the SRC case, there were no complaints.

Sri Ram: What about this case?

Uma: Same answer.

Uma clarified that she joined AmBank in 2012 and was transferred to the Jalan Raja Chulan branch in 2015. 

Sri Ram: So, from 2015 to 2018, to your knowledge did the accused file any action against your bank for mishandling his account?

Uma: To my knowledge, no.

According to Uma’s witness statement, Najib had five accounts with AmBank. 

Najib opened two accounts in Ambank – a savings account ending with 481 - on January 18, 2011, and a current account ending with 694 – on January 13, 2011.  

The two accounts were closed on August 30, 2013.  

Three other accounts, ending with 880, 906 and 898 – were opened on July 31, 2013 and closed on March 9, 2015.

Only in December 2019, Najib filed the suit against the bank and its then relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging over the management of accounts under his name to divert funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd. 

Najib had also sued Ambank Islamic Bank Bhd and AMMB Holdings Bhd for breach of duty and negligence in handling his accounts, which had resulted in the former premier being convicted in the SRC trial for misappropriating RM42 million.

The suit concerns Najib’s AmBank accounts ending 694, 880, 898 and 906, which the Pekan MP claimed were managed by the bank without his knowledge.

In 2020, the High Court struck out a suit filed by Najib against AmBank and Yu. 

Justice Khadijah Idris said the suit was filed to bolster Najib’s defence in the SRC International trial, which she surmised as an abuse of the court process.

Even during Najib’s SRC International appeal at the Federal Court, ad hoc prosecutor V. Sithambaram submitted that the former prime minister had never made any enquiries with AmBank about the huge funds that were constantly credited and debited to his personal bank accounts until the accounts were closed in 2015. 

Najib is facing four charges of using his position as then prime minister to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount. 

He is already serving a 12-year jail term after failing in his final appeal at the apex court in the SRC International case.

Meanwhile, the 1MDB trial ended early today to allow Najib to see a doctor. 

Sri Ram told the court that they have been informed by the Prison Department officers that the accused’s medication for blood pressure has been changed and hence he is having adverse effects on it.

“He needs to see a doctor. 

“His condition is quite bad,” the former Federal Court judge said. 

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the court to adjourn early to allow Najib seek medical attention. 

The trial is expected to resume tomorrow. – September 12, 2022.