The investigation into the 1MDB scandal during the tenure of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak faced hindrances in 2016 due to changes in leadership within the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), as revealed by an investigating officer during a proceedings at the High Court.
According to MACC senior superintendent Nur Aida Arifin, who testified as the 49th prosecution witness in Najib's trial concerning the alleged misappropriation of over RM2 billion from 1MDB funds, the appointment of Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad as the chief commissioner of MACC effectively brought the investigation to a halt. This change in leadership, being within the prerogative of the prime minister, impacted the ongoing investigations.
Aida highlighted that upon Dzulkifli's assumption of the MACC leadership on August 1, 2016, instructions were given to cease investigations into Najib's alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds from 1MDB and SRC International. Though she couldn't recall the source of these instructions, she documented them in her notes, indicating a directive to halt investigations.
Under questioning from deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, Aida elaborated on her interpretation of the leadership change as a move to shield Najib from further scrutiny. In today's hearing, Aida positively identified the voices of individuals such as Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor, Dzulkifli, Azeez Rahim, and Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin in audio recordings played in court.
Najib faces 25 charges related to the alleged misappropriation of RM2.28 billion from 1MDB funds, which purportedly flowed into his personal bank accounts at AmBank. Najib contends that these funds were donations from the Saudi Arabian royal family, backed by four letters that he claims authenticate the donations. However, Aida stated that she never saw the original letters from the Saudi royal family and only received unauthenticated copies from fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.
Additionally, Aida revealed that neither Najib nor individuals acting on his behalf filed any police reports or MACC reports to investigate Low, who has been implicated as the mastermind behind the 1MDB scandal.
Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah represented Najib in court.
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