Court date: Najib (second from right) arriving at the High Court here yesterday accompanied by prison guards for the 1MDB trial. — GLENN GUAN /The Star
Witness: Money was from shell company believed to have been set up by Jho Low
KUALA LUMPUR: A personal account belonging to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak received US$30mil from a shell company, Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners – purportedly set up by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, an analyst from Bank Negara told the High Court here.
Adam Ariff Mohd Roslan, 29, said that on Oct 30, 2012, a sum of US$5mil was paid and another US$25mil paid on Nov 19 of the same year.
“Standard Chartered Bank’s records for Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners confirmed the beneficiary account for both transfers is account number ‘2112022009694’ held under the name ‘AmPrivate Banking – MR’ with AmIslamic.
“Examination on the bank statement and records dated Oct 31, 2012 and Nov 20, 2012 for the account number 2112022009694 maintained in the name of ‘AmPrivate Banking – MR and/or Datuk Seri Mohd Najib And Razak’ provided by AmIslamic, matched the transfers,” said Adam Ariff.
The 47th prosecution witness said this when verifying the money trail report at Najib’s trial involving the alleged misappropriation of RM2.3bil of 1MDB funds.
It was reported that Jho Low set up Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners, a shell company with a similar name to real estate private equity firm Blackstone Real Estate; and he (Jho Low) deliberately used a naming convention for offshore shell companies built by him to resemble well-established companies in his conspiracy to siphon millions of dollars from 1MDB.
Earlier, Adam Ariff confirmed the RM60.6mil received by the accused in his personal bank account on February and June 2011 originated from Islamic medium-term notes (IMTN) bond issued in 2009 by 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) predecessor, Terengganu Invest-ment Authority (TIA).
TIA was renamed 1MDB on Sept 25, 2009.
On the first day of trial on Aug 28, 2019, the prosecution had said it would show that 1MDB funds had been transferred in multiple transactions to Najib’s accounts, namely US$20mil or over RM60mil from the first phase, and US$30mil or over RM90mil in the second phase.
The prosecution would also show US$681mil or over RM2bil had been transferred in the third phase and transactions in British pounds that were equivalent to a combined total of over RM49mil during the fourth phase.
Najib was seen in his usual suit and tie attire in the courtroom yesterday, while his few supporters were seen sitting in the public gallery in the courtroom.
The 70-year-old faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3bil belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today. — Bernama
