KUALA LUMPUR: Former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz for the first time told the High Court here that the central bank had recommended three top officials of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) to be charged over the company’s scandal.
The three individuals were the then 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee.
Zeti, 76, said that her request for the trio to be charged was made to the then Attorney-General (Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali) but no action was taken.
The 46th prosecution witness said this when queried by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the former premier’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds.
Last month, Zeti testified that the investigation paper (IP) submitted by BNM to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) with the recommendation to initiate criminal prosecution and to charge 1MDB including the senior officers was classified as no further action (NFA).
Zeti contended that despite all the damning evidence gathered and recorded by BNM in the IP on 1MDB, Mohamed Apandi, for reasons unknown, had on Sept 11, 2015, decided that the IP submitted by the central bank was to be classified as NFA.
Meanwhile, during today’s proceedings, when asked by Muhammad Shafee if she had ever seen or come across any role played by Najib in the remittance of the US$1 billion to the 1MDB-Petrosaudi joint venture (JV) company to the wrong entity, Zeti said Najib’s role was submitting the guarantee to the Cabinet for the approval.
“That (guarantee) was one of the reasons BNM approved the remittance. The 1MDB board of directors had approved it, the Cabinet had approved it. He (Najib) guaranteed the investment. 1MDB is a company 100 per cent owned by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), there’s no reason for BNM not to approve it,” said Zeti.
Muhammad Shafee: You are not suggesting that Najib did it with dishonest intentions?
Zeti: As it turned out, there was no such investment (JV company).
Muhammad Shafee: But who provided all the information about the JV investment to Najib?
Zeti: This is a company 100 per cent owned by the MOF.
Zeti added that, as Najib was holding the executive position as the chairman of the 1MDB board of advisors, he should have an awareness of what investments are supposed to take place.
Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.-Bernama
