1MDB trial: Now, Najib's lawyer shows Saudi prince's promise of US$800m 'gift', after previous letters on US$375m and US$100m donations
An SUV accompanied by the police and the Prisons Department carrying former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives at Kuala Lumpur High Court, Sept 28, 2022. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Monday, 03 Oct 2022 12:48 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — A purported Saudi prince had continued to promise a gift of US$800 million to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2013, after having allegedly promised gifts of US$375 million and US$100 million in two separate letters in 2011, the High Court heard today.
Najib's lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed presented to the High Court the third purported letter from the alleged Saudi royal figure, "Saud Abdulaziz Al Saud", on the promise to give hundreds of millions of US dollars.
This occurred in Najib's trial over the alleged misappropriation or dishonest taking of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds, where Najib's lawyers sought to argue that the billions of ringgit which entered Najib's accounts were donations or gifts from Saudi Arabia's royalty.
Wan Aizuddin showed the third letter dated March 1, 2013, and read out almost the entire letter to the 38th prosecution witness and AmBank's director of foreign exchange and derivative sales Yap Wai Keat.
This included the excerpt: "In view of the friendship that we have developed over the years and your new ideas as a modern Islamic leader, in addition to my earlier commitments, I hereby grant you an additional sum of up to United States Dollar Eight Hundred Million (US$800,000,000) Only ("Gift") which shall be remitted to you at such times and in such manner as I deem fit either directly from my personal bank account or through my instructed company bank accounts (as such Tanore Finance Corp)."
Wan Aizuddin then highlighted to Yap that this alleged Saudi prince had said in the 2013 letter that "he will be sending to Datuk Seri Najib a sum of up to US$800 million", with Yap agreeing with this.
Wan Aizuddin sought to suggest that the US$681 million that entered Najib's personal AmIslamic bank account (with the account number ending 9694) via two batches sent out by Tanore Finance Corporation (US$61 million on March 25, 2013 and US$620 million on March 21, 2013) would be within the amount of US$800 million, with Yap also agreeing.
Wan Aizuddin: And you would also agree, the sending entity for the US$620 million and US$61 million as per the SWIFT notes, Tanore Finance Corp is mentioned in this letter to be an outfit of the Saudi prince?
Yap: Yes.
Wan Aizuddin then asked if Yap had known about any of these three letters from the purported Saudi prince (which promised US$100 million as a gift to Najib via the letter dated February 1, 2011 and the US$375 million gift via the November 1, 2011 letter and the March 2013 letter promising US$800 million).
On the first day of trial, the prosecution said it would prove that RM2,282,937,678.41 or over RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds had entered Najib's personal bank accounts from all four phases of the 1MDB scheme.
The prosecution had said it would show that 1MDB funds had been transferred in multiple transactions to Najib’s accounts, namely US$20 million equivalent to over RM60 million from the first phase of the 1MDB scheme, US$30 million equivalent to over RM90 million (second phase), US$681 million equivalent to RM2,081,476,926 or over RM2 billion (third phase), and transactions in British pound that were equivalent to RM4,093,500 and RM45,837,485.70 or a combined total of RM49,930,985.70 million or over RM49 million (fourth phase).
The prosecution had said Tanore was controlled by Low Taek Jho’s associate Eric Tan and it had allegedly paid the US$681 million of 1MDB funds to Najib’s account between March 21, 2013 and April 10, 2013.
Najib was dressed in a light brown suit with a dark brown tie paired with brown shoes and socks matching his suit while in the courtroom. His wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor also attended part of his trial.
Today is the first day of the Dewan Rakyat proceedings. While still being Pekan MP, Najib who is a prisoner and accused person attended his trial instead of going to Parliament this morning.
Najib's 1MDB trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah is scheduled to resume this afternoon.
Monday, 03 Oct 2022 12:48 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — A purported Saudi prince had continued to promise a gift of US$800 million to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2013, after having allegedly promised gifts of US$375 million and US$100 million in two separate letters in 2011, the High Court heard today.
Najib's lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed presented to the High Court the third purported letter from the alleged Saudi royal figure, "Saud Abdulaziz Al Saud", on the promise to give hundreds of millions of US dollars.
This occurred in Najib's trial over the alleged misappropriation or dishonest taking of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds, where Najib's lawyers sought to argue that the billions of ringgit which entered Najib's accounts were donations or gifts from Saudi Arabia's royalty.
Wan Aizuddin showed the third letter dated March 1, 2013, and read out almost the entire letter to the 38th prosecution witness and AmBank's director of foreign exchange and derivative sales Yap Wai Keat.
This included the excerpt: "In view of the friendship that we have developed over the years and your new ideas as a modern Islamic leader, in addition to my earlier commitments, I hereby grant you an additional sum of up to United States Dollar Eight Hundred Million (US$800,000,000) Only ("Gift") which shall be remitted to you at such times and in such manner as I deem fit either directly from my personal bank account or through my instructed company bank accounts (as such Tanore Finance Corp)."
Wan Aizuddin then highlighted to Yap that this alleged Saudi prince had said in the 2013 letter that "he will be sending to Datuk Seri Najib a sum of up to US$800 million", with Yap agreeing with this.
Wan Aizuddin sought to suggest that the US$681 million that entered Najib's personal AmIslamic bank account (with the account number ending 9694) via two batches sent out by Tanore Finance Corporation (US$61 million on March 25, 2013 and US$620 million on March 21, 2013) would be within the amount of US$800 million, with Yap also agreeing.
Wan Aizuddin: And you would also agree, the sending entity for the US$620 million and US$61 million as per the SWIFT notes, Tanore Finance Corp is mentioned in this letter to be an outfit of the Saudi prince?
Yap: Yes.
Wan Aizuddin then asked if Yap had known about any of these three letters from the purported Saudi prince (which promised US$100 million as a gift to Najib via the letter dated February 1, 2011 and the US$375 million gift via the November 1, 2011 letter and the March 2013 letter promising US$800 million).
On the first day of trial, the prosecution said it would prove that RM2,282,937,678.41 or over RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds had entered Najib's personal bank accounts from all four phases of the 1MDB scheme.
The prosecution had said it would show that 1MDB funds had been transferred in multiple transactions to Najib’s accounts, namely US$20 million equivalent to over RM60 million from the first phase of the 1MDB scheme, US$30 million equivalent to over RM90 million (second phase), US$681 million equivalent to RM2,081,476,926 or over RM2 billion (third phase), and transactions in British pound that were equivalent to RM4,093,500 and RM45,837,485.70 or a combined total of RM49,930,985.70 million or over RM49 million (fourth phase).
The prosecution had said Tanore was controlled by Low Taek Jho’s associate Eric Tan and it had allegedly paid the US$681 million of 1MDB funds to Najib’s account between March 21, 2013 and April 10, 2013.
Najib was dressed in a light brown suit with a dark brown tie paired with brown shoes and socks matching his suit while in the courtroom. His wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor also attended part of his trial.
Today is the first day of the Dewan Rakyat proceedings. While still being Pekan MP, Najib who is a prisoner and accused person attended his trial instead of going to Parliament this morning.
Najib's 1MDB trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah is scheduled to resume this afternoon.
Najib should be allowed to attend Parliament since he is still representing Pekan....hehehehe...
ReplyDelete