https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/02/13/najibs-1mdb-trial-macc-officer-admits-doesnt-know-if-alleged-saudi-princes-passport-genuine-or-if-he-wrote-donation-letters/166586
Uncertainty Surrounds Saudi Prince’s Identity in Najib’s 1MDB Trial
The authenticity of a Saudi prince who allegedly promised hundreds of millions in donations to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak remains in question. In a 2015 investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), officers sought to verify the identity of the individual who purportedly authored four letters pledging vast sums of money to Najib. However, key uncertainties persist—was this man truly a Saudi prince, and was his passport legitimate?
Testifying in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial, MACC officer Fikri Ab Rahim stated that he could not confirm whether the passport shown to him belonged to a genuine Saudi royal. He was part of a five-man delegation that traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2015 to verify the donation claims. The investigation sought to determine whether the funds that entered Najib’s personal bank accounts were indeed from Saudi royalty and whether the donation letters were legitimate.
During the visit, Fikri and his team met three individuals introduced as Saudi princes in a palace. A man identified as Prince Turki introduced two others—Prince Saud and Prince Faisal. Since the four letters were allegedly signed by Prince Saud Abdulaziz Majid Al Saud, MACC requested proof of his identity. The man identified as Prince Saud provided his passport, which was passed through intermediaries before reaching the Malaysian officers.
Fikri inspected the passport for about five minutes, confirming that the photograph matched the man introduced as Prince Saud. However, he admitted he did not recall the passport’s color but recognized it as a diplomatic passport. Despite being "satisfied" with the identity verification process, he acknowledged that passports can be forged. When questioned further, he confirmed that simply examining the document was insufficient to verify whether the alleged prince had truly authored the donation letters.
Another key issue was the inability of MACC to directly record a statement from Prince Saud. Prince Turki insisted that only a representative could provide testimony, citing the Saudi royal’s supposed "immunity." As a result, Fikri and two other MACC officers recorded the statement of Mohamad Abdullah Al-Koman, who acted as Prince Saud’s representative.
Fikri noted that during the interview, Mohamad Abdullah repeatedly left the room to take phone calls. According to the investigating officer, he claimed to be consulting Prince Saud on the MACC’s questions. However, Fikri admitted that he could not verify whom Mohamad Abdullah had actually spoken to. Additionally, the recorded statement was not signed by Prince Saud himself but only by his representative and the MACC officer who conducted the interview.
Further concerns arose regarding the credibility of the five-page statement. The prosecution suggested that the document was pre-prepared, questioning how such a detailed statement could have been compiled in just 20 minutes while the representative was frequently leaving the room. Fikri defended the efficiency of the MACC officer in charge but could not dispute the possibility of a pre-written response.
Fikri also revealed that MACC’s then-deputy chief (operations), Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull, had informed him that the trip to Saudi Arabia had been arranged by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). Among the officials present on the trip were MACC’s current chief, Tan Sri Azam Baki, and former MACC chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad.
During cross-examination, Najib’s defense team pressed Fikri on whether the MACC and AGC were satisfied with the donation letters’ authenticity. Fikri responded that he had been instructed by Azam Baki to continue investigating, as the letters alone were insufficient proof. When asked whether the RM2.6 billion transferred to Najib’s accounts could have been a bribe rather than a donation, he reiterated that further investigation was required.
Najib has consistently argued that the money deposited into his accounts came from Saudi royalty, not from 1MDB funds. However, the prosecution maintains that the four donation letters were fabricated. The trial, presided over by Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, is set to resume next Tuesday, with Fikri expected to continue his testimony.
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