Najib never asked about his overdrawn account - witness

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has never asked why his personal Ambank account is overdrawn, the High Court here was told today.

In fact, former Ambank Relationship Manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping, 48, said the mandate holder, the former SRC International Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, also never asked her about it.

The 54th prosecution witness said this during examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram on the 41st day of Najib's trial pertaining to misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds totalling RM42 million. 

Sithambaran: Have you ever been questioned by the account holder or the mandate holder why the account is overdrawn?

Yu: No. When I told him (Nik Faisal Ariff), he just accepted it.

Sithambaran: Have you ever been questioned by the account holder or mandate holder why there is unauthorised money?

Yu: I did not contact the account holder.

In reply to Sithambaran’s question on whether she knew that Najib was surprised upon learning that a huge sum of money was deposited into his personal account, Yu said she was not aware of it.

Meanwhile, when asked whether the account statement was sent to Najib and Nik Faisal Ariff, Yu said yes.

Sithambaran: From the statement, would the account holder knew the fund in his account?

Yu: Yes.

Sithambaran: Apart from the bank statement, is there any reason that the account holder should know (about) the movement of money?

Yu: When the account is overdrawn, they would know and the bank statement would also tell them the balance.

Earlier, Sithambaram asked Yu about a conversation between her and the infamous fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or better known as Jho Low, on June 9, 2014.

Yu was asked to elaborate and she explained that when Nik Faisal Ariff was not in town, she would meet with Jho Low to get the documents.

Sithambaram also asked why Yu did not contact Najib personally when Nik Faisal Ariff was unavailable and the witness replied that she did not have access to Najib personally.

“We have instructions as we need to check with Nik Faisal, the mandate holder, and we follow it the letter,” she said.

Najib, 66, is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust, one count of abusing his position and three counts of money laundering involving SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.

The hearing before justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali continues.

-- BERNAMA