Only Najib could sign cheques for AmIslamic account which paid out RM8.4m, court told
Published on: Thursday, September 08, 2022
By: Malay Mail
Datuk Seri Najib Razak is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court September 8, 2022. (Malay Mail pic)
Kuala Lumpur: The High Court today heard that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was the sole signatory for cheques from his AmIslamic bank account ending 9694.
This is the same bank account which was verified to have issued 38 cheques for the transfer of RM8.4 million in just more than a years’ time during the March 2011 to May 2012 period to 29 recipients, with the bulk or RM4.67 million given to Umno via its different divisions and branches.
ADVERTISEMENT
Today, AmBank’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi confirmed that Najib had on January 13, 2011 opened the current account ending 9694 (full account number 211-202-200969-4) at the branch via an account opening form which he had signed, and that he had paid the minimum RM500 required to open the account.
“The authorised signatory for this personal account is Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak himself as the sole authorised signatory for cheques that are issued. This means, only he alone can sign cheques and carry out matters through this account,” she told the High Court today.
Uma Devi was testifying as the 37th prosecution witness in Najib’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds.
Najib, who has been serving his jail sentence in Kajang Prison since August 23 and is still Pekan MP, was seen sitting in the accused’s dock wearing a pale blue-grey suit with a light blue shirt and also with a tie.
ADVERTISEMENT
Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was seen sitting in the courtroom for about 40 minutes of the trial today. Najib’s son Datuk Mohd Nizar was later spotted outside the courtroom’s area after the end of court proceedings today.
Yesterday and the day before, AmBank cheque processing centre’s senior manager Badrul Hisam Mohamad had as the 36th prosecution witness verified the 38 cheques issued from Najib’s AmIslamic bank account, with the amount confirmed to come up to a total of RM8,405,850 or over RM8.4 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
Badrul Hisam had confirmed that all the 38 cheques carried Najib’s signature.
The cheques’ recipients included Pekan Umno which received RM340,000 via three cheques issued in April 2011, April 2012 and May 2012, Pekan Umno Wanita (RM30,000 via June 2011 cheque), Selangor Umno (RM3.9 million via two cheques issued in September and November 2011 and two cheques issued in March 2012), Barisan Nasional’s Bandar Tun Razak division (RM200,000 via March 2012 cheque), Machang Umno (RM400,000 via April 2012 cheque) and several politicians.
The 1MDB trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes next Monday.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
