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KUALA LUMPUR – A senior bank manager told the high court here today that she only knew the personal account with the code name AmPrivate Banking-MR belonged to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) began.
Former Ambank FX Sales Department senior manager Rosliza Ishak, 48, said when she took over the customer portfolio of “AM Private Banking Division” from a superior officer she was not told of the details of the account holders.
“I knew some customers from AM Private Banking Division would prefer not to have their identities revealed, not even to the bank officer.
“They (superior officers) did not mention the account was owned by Datuk Seri Najib. I was only given the code name and no further information was disclosed,” she said when cross-examined by counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed at Najib’s trial for corruption and money laundering involving RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds.
Earlier, Rosliza, when reading out her witness statement, said she changed £8.7 million (RM45.8 million) in six transactions between June 23 and December 19, 2014 after receiving orders from a former Ambank relationship manager, Joanna Yu.
“Yu will give the order to my department after the client agreed with the exchange rate given. My department later would execute the foreign exchange order given by Yu, after the customer confirmed the exchange,” said the 25th witness.
However, Rosliza said Yu did not specifically mention the identity of the customer for the account she was handling as all transactions used code names.
Yu is an important witness in Najib’s trial on the breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.
Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering for the same amount.
The trial before justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume tomorrow. – Bernama, June 14, 2022
