Day 75: Najib's defence to call ex-Treasury sec-gen Irwan Serigar

LIVE | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters day 75 today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Najib's defence to call ex-Treasury sec-gen Irwan Serigar
• 'No personal knowledge that funds into Najib accounts were not flagged'
• Prosecution begins cross-examination of ex-AmBank banker
• No personal dealings with Najib over bank accounts, says former banker
• Ex-AmBank banker confirms being part of team managing Najib's accounts
• Defence completes re-examination of Najib
• Najib: Jho Low baits me with RM42 million to cover his scams
• Najib swears 'sumpah laknat', denies knowledge of RM42m
• Jho Low seemed to represent Saudis rather than Malaysia, testifies Najib
• Court allows defence 20-minute break to prepare final questions
• I didn't message Jho Low about blocked credit card transaction - Najib
• 'Jho Low was assisting bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia'
• RM2.6b donation to ensure independence in run-up to GE13
• Najib claims letters from Saudi royalty notified him on the donation

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4.50pm - Thank you for following our live report today.

Reporting by Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid and Faisal Asyraf. Photographs by Azneal Ishak. Social media updates by Ewe Linq Yenn.

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Najib's defence to call ex-Treasury sec-gen Irwan Serigar

4.23pm - Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah will testify on behalf of Najib Abdul Razak's defence tomorrow, the High Court hears.

Najib's defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh informs Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazai this at the end of proceedings this afternoon.

Earlier, second defence witness and former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap wrapped up her testimony.

Harvinderjit tells the court that it would take the whole day tomorrow for Irwan Serigar to testify.

Nazlan then adjourns proceedings to 9am tomorrow morning.

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'No personal knowledge that funds into Najib accounts were not flagged'

4.10pm - Former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap testifies she has no personal knowledge that incoming funds into Najib Abdul Razak's accounts were not flagged as suspicious.

The second defence witness admits this during cross-examination by DPP V Sithambaram.

The DPP is asking about her answer in her witness statements where she says incoming funds were not flagged as suspicious as they had come with supporting documents.

Sithambaram: Do you have personal knowledge of this?

Yap: No.

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Prosecution begins cross-examination of ex-AmBank banker

3.45pm - Proceedings resume after a brief break as DPP V Sithambaram begins to cross-examine second defence witness, former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap.

3.23pm - The High Court allows a brief break to enable the prosecution to prepare for the cross-examination of former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap.

Yap is the second defence witness who has just completed examination-in-chief by Najib Abdul Razak's lawyers Farhan Read and Harvinderjit Singh.

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No personal dealings with Najib over bank accounts, says former banker

3.05pm - Former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap testifies that she had no personal dealings with former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in relation to his bank accounts.

During examination-in-chief by defence counsel Farhan Read, the second defence witness says that she merely followed the instructions of Joanna Yu, who then led the team managing Najib's accounts 880, 906 and 898.

Yap, who was the most junior member in the team at that time, says that she also had no personal dealing with Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (photo), the person authorised by Najib to deal with the accounts.

"I did, however, send emails to Nik Faisal as and when instructed to do so by Joanna Yu", she says.

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Ex-AmBank banker confirms being part of team managing Najib's accounts

2.50pm - Former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap testifies that she was part of a team in AmBank that managed then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's accounts.

Testifying on behalf of the defence, the second defence witness confirms that she was a junior member of the AmBank team, which included senior members Joanna Yu and Daniel Lee.

Reading from a Witness Statement, Yap says among the accounts the team managed were Najib's 694, 880, 906 and 898 accounts.

The 880, 906 and 898 accounts are a crucial part of Najib's seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering of RM42 million of funds from SRC International.

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Proceedings resume after lunch break

2.40pm - Former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap is expected to be called as the second defence witness.

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Defence completes re-examination of Najib

12.26pm - Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah wraps up re-examination of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then allows the accused to be released from the witness stand.

The accused had been testifying since Dec 3 last year when the defence stage of his RM42 million SRC International trial began.

As Najib enters the dock, defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh informs Nazlan that the next defence witness, Krystle Yap, will testify this afternoon.

Harvinderjit Singh says that Yap will begin by reading out from her 14-page Witness Statement.

Nazlan then adjourns proceedings for lunch break. The trial will resume around 2.30pm this afternoon.

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Najib: Jho Low baits me with RM42 million to cover his scams

1215pm - Former Premier Najib Razak testifies that the fugitive financier Jho Low ensured donations to flow into his account to retain his faith and confidence.

"Jho Low made a lot of money, and I'm not surprised that he was involved in other scams.

"But having made an immense amount of money elsewhere, I think he must have thought that if he didn't continue to make sure donations flow into my account, that would affect his relationship with me and lead me to uncover the scams.

"He needed to continue to ensure I had confidence and faith in him, so RM42 million is minuscule compared to what he was making.

"He saw it as an investment, as a payment, so that he can continue to benefit from other activities he was doing," he said.

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Najib swears 'sumpah laknat', denies knowledge of RM42m

12.10pm - Former Prime Minister Najib Razak made a "sumpah laknat" (religious oath) while testifying to show that he did not seek gratification and did not know RM42 million went into his account in relation to his SRC case.

"As a Muslim, wallahi, wabillahi, watallahi, I never sought any gratification, and I did not know that the RM42 million went into my accounts at that material time," he said during re-examination by counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Najib stressed that there has been neither written nor verbal evidence in the court that there was an offer, and there was no mention of related meetings taking place in regards to gratification.

He said any attempt to commit such an offence is preposterous and stupid.

"It never happened, and to suggest that as prime minister I would have indulged in something like that is preposterous.

"And I said, I cannot be so stupid to be a moron to ask for that kind of graft and being discovered," says Najib.

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Jho Low seemed to represent Saudis rather than Malaysia, testifies Najib

12.02pm - Najib Abdul Razak testifies that 1MDB-linked businessperson Low Taek Jho or Jho Low seemed to represent Saudi Arabia in dealings between the Middle Eastern kingdom and Malaysia.

During re-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the former prime minister says that Jho Low seemed to be closer to Saudi Arabia rather than Malaysia during dealings that led to Arab donations worth billions of ringgit being deposited into Najib's bank accounts.

Shafee: You mentioned that Jho Low was dealing with the Arabs. Did he (Jho Low) give the impression that he was representing Malaysia or the Arabs?

Najib: At that time, it was clear that he (Jho Low) was closer to the Saudis rather than Malaysia's side. He was representing Saudi Arabia at the time.

11.45am - Proceedings resume after a brief break for defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to conduct re-examination of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Court allows defence 20-minute break to prepare final questions

11.14am - The High Court allows lead defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's application for a 20-minute break.

Shafee informs Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali this is needed for the defence to prepare and consult with Najib Abdul Razak over the final set of re-examination questions.

Defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh has wrapped up his re-examination of Najib earlier, leaving Shafee to put the finishing touches on the re-examination.

Shafee informs the court that the defence would be able to wrap up all re-examination before lunch break today.

11am - Proceedings resume after break.

10.33am - Court takes a short break.

I didn't message Jho Low about blocked credit card transaction - Najib

10.17am - Najib Abdul Razak denies having messaged 1MDB-linked fugitive businessperson Jho Low about a blocked credit card transaction on Dec 23, 2014.

The former prime minister says this during re-examination by defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh.

Harvinderjit is asking about a disputed chat log of message conversations between Jho Low and Najib's then AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu on Dec 23, 2014.

In the purported chat log, Jho Low allegedly forwarded a message from Najib asking why his (Najib) Platinum credit card not going through and asking to check with AmBank about it.

Harvinderjit: Did you send the message to Jho Low?

Najib: No.

Najib, however, admits that there was a Visa Platinum transaction of US$130,625 at Honolulu, Hawaii, in December 2014.

Previously, Najib admitted that the transaction was for the purchase of a Chanel watch at Hawaii on Dec 22, 2014.

'Jho Low was assisting bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia'

9.40am - Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak testifies that Jho Low helped to promote bilateral relations with the Saudis.

He cites an example of Jho Low helping to get clearance for Malaysian planes to land in Jeddah without visas during the time students were being evacuated from Egypt during the Arab Spring revolutions.

"As you know, the main reason why we had this relationship with Jho Low because it's proven he had a special relationship with the Saudis and a few other royal families in the Middle East.

"On that basis, he was helpful, not only being the conduit to the Saudis but also helping out in bilateral relations with the kingdom.

"For example, when the Arab Spring happened, and our students were stuck in Egypt and wanted to return home, I did ask him to help out, to get clearance from Saudi (Arabia) to allow to flights into their airspace, and to land our planes in Jeddah without visas," he said during re-examination by defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh.

RM2.6b donation to ensure independence in run-up to GE13

9.36am - The RM2.6 billion donation from the Saudi royal family kept him independent from corporate donors among others in the run-up to 13th General Election, Najib Abdul Razak testifies.

During re-examination by defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh, the former prime minister says that this is meant to keep him from feeling he owed something to other donors such as corporate ones in Malaysia.

"As Umno president, I wanted a source of income to make me independent of other donors, that would mean I do not have an IOU (I owe you) with anyone.

"I was more comfortable if I do not take corporate donations. I do not want a sense of owing gratitude to anyone.

"This source of donation would fulfil the requirement of the party (Umno) which does not include vote-buying (which Najib earlier testifies he does not condone) but for activities like events, billboards. Those are requirements when BN is a party involved in 222 parliamentary seats nationwide (in the run-up to GE13)," Najib testifies.

Najib adds that this is particularly so as the practice of taking political donation is the norm as practised by his predecessor, whom he does not say who it is.

Najib claims letters from Saudi royalty notified him on the donation

9.23am - Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak testifies he knew that the RM2.6 billion donation was specifically coming to his account due to letters from the Arab royal family.

During re-examination by defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh, the accused says his belief was based on letters saying the money was incoming from then Saudi ruler King Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Saud through various channels.

Harvinderjit is asking over how Najib knew that RM2.6 billion was to be deposited into his bank account despite the accused during cross-examination saying that he was not informed of the specific amount.

During cross-examination by the prosecution, Najib said that his then chief private secretary Azlin Alias, among others, usually informed him that enough money has come into his account for him to issue cheques, without a specific amount stated.

"The RM2.6 billion was based on donation letters that I received.

"My belief was that it (RM2.6 billion) was coming from King Abdullah as a donation through various channels," Najib testifies.

Proceedings begin

9.20am - Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak enters the witness stand as proceedings begin.

The defence team is going to resume re-examination of the accused.

8.59am - Accused Najib Abdul Razak enters the Kuala Lumpur High Court and takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery.

Also seen in court awaiting proceedings to begin is his lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, as well as members of the prosecution.

Former AmBank relationship manager Krystle Yap may be set to testify for the defence on the 75th day of Najib Abdul Razak’s RM42 million SRC International trial today.

Yesterday, the former prime minister’s defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh informed the Kuala Lumpur High Court that the defence is looking at wrapping up re-examination of the accused today, thus paving the way for Yap to testify for the defence.

Since the defence stage of the trial began on Dec 3 last year, Najib had undergone examination-in-chief by the defence team for three days, and was then subject to cross-examination for 11 days.

If the defence wraps up its re-examination of Najib today, then it would mean that Najib had been on the witness stand for 16 days.

Yap is among a list of prosecution witnesses that was offered to the defence after Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali ordered Najib to enter his defence on Nov 11 last year.

During the prosecution stage of trial last year, Yap was referred to in various testimonies, including that of former Bank Negara investigating officer Ahmad Farhan Sharifuddin, who led a raid by a team from the central bank on the Jalan Raja Chulan branch of AmBank in July 2015.

Najib’s re-examination by the defence team is expected to resume before Nazlan around 9am this morning.

Yesterday, Najib among others testified that he was not sure whether the two government guarantees for the RM4 billion in loans from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International were ever laid before Parliament as required under Section 2(3) of the Loan Guarantee (Bodies Corporate) Act 1965.