FORMER Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz for the first time told the High Court that the central bank had recommended three top officials of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) be charged over the company’s scandal. 

The three individuals were the then 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, and former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee. 

Zeti, 76, said her request for the trio to be charged was made to the then attorney-general (Mohamed Apandi Ali) but no action was taken. 

The 46th prosecution witness said this when queried by Najib Tun Razak’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the former premier’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds. 

Last month, Zeti testified that the investigation paper (IP) submitted by BNM to the Attorney-General’s Chambers with the recommendation to initiate criminal prosecution and charge 1MDB’s senior officers was classified as no further action (NFA). 

Zeti said despite all the damning evidence gathered by BNM in the IP on 1MDB, Apandi, for unknown reasons had on September 11, 2015 decided that the IP submitted by the central bank was to be classified as NFA. 

In today’s proceedings, when asked by Muhammad Shafee if she had ever seen or come across any role played by Najib in the remittance of US$1 billion to the 1MDB-Petrosaudi joint venture (JV) company, Zeti said Najib’s role was submitting the guarantee for cabinet approval. 

“That (guarantee) was one of the reasons BNM approved the remittance. The 1MDB board of directors had approved it; the cabinet had approved it. He (Najib) guaranteed the investment. 1MDB is a company 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), there’s no reason for BNM not to approve it,” said Zeti. 

Muhammad Shafee: You are not suggesting that Najib did it with dishonest intentions? 

Zeti: As it turned out, there was no such investment (JV company). 

Muhammad Shafee: But who provided all the information about the JV investment to Najib? 

Zeti: This is a company 100% owned by the MOF. 

Zeti added that, as Najib was holding an executive position as the chairman of the 1MDB board of advisors, he should have had an awareness of what investments were supposed to take place. 

Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount. 

The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. – Bernama, August 15, 2023.