AN INVESTIGATING officer with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the High Court that Najib Razak tried to hinder their investigations on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Senior officer Nur Aida Arifin testified that the former prime minister, who was also finance minister, tried to hinder the 1MDB probe by restricting MACC’s investigation, including attempting to close the case.

However, Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah argued that the witness did not have solid evidence that Najib was trying to hinder the 1MDB financial scandal probe.

He told the Kuala Lumpur High Court during cross examination that Nur Aida Arifin was making presumptuous observations, to which the latter disagreed.

Nur Aida is testifying as a star prosecution witness in Najib’s corruption trial for misappropriating millions of funds belonging to the sovereign state fund.

She told the court that while Najib was prime minister, he undertook several actions, including replacing the MACC chief commissioner, ordering arrests of MACC officers, and ultimately leading to the former attorney-general, Mohamed Apandi Ali, declaring the case as ‘no further action’ (NFA).

The witness said the proof came from a document containing talking points that was seized from Najib’s former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.

Nur Aida said the document was prepared by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho based on Najib’s instructions.

Shafee: Do you agree that during the investigations by the police and the MACC, there were no restrictions from Najib?

Nur Aida: For MACC, yes there was. Among the actions Najib took when he was the prime minister was to change the MACC chief commissioner, made arrests on MACC officers and lastly, (former attorney general) Mohamed Apandi Ali closed the case even when MACC recommended further action.

Shafee: What about the decision to classify the 1MDB investigation as (requiring) “no further action”?

Aida: That came from then attorney-general Apandi Ali.

Shafee: Is there anything that shows the instructions (NFA) came from Najib?

Nur Aida: I have no direct evidence for that but everything that was stated in the notes did happen. Amhari was Najib’s own officer.

Shafee: You are an IO but you are talking like you’re at a coffee shop.

Nur Aida: This is not a coffee shop, Tan Sri. Yes, there were no direct instructions. But in the investigation, as a whole, it did happen.

Presiding judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah then told Shafee to leave the matter for submissions, saying the witness was maintaining her stand.

Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The hearing continues. – May 28, 2024