Ali said this when responding to ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram’s question on his meeting with Najib, and then auditor-general Ambrin Buang, two days earlier in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“No, it would not have taken place. When the PM (prime minister) said he will ‘get down to it’, the A-G (Ambrin) responded by saying he was willing to take part in the Feb 24 meeting,” he said, adding that both Ambrin and Najib were already in the office when he walked in.
Ali and Ambrin have testified that they attended the Feb 24, 2016 meeting at the chief secretary’s office along with Najib’s principal private secretary at the time, Shukry Mohd Salleh, senior treasury officials, an official from the Attorney-General’s Chambers and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
Najib is on trial for alleged abuse of power to obtain immunity from legal action and causing amendments to the finalised 1MDB audit report from the auditor-general before it was tabled to the Public Accounts Committee. Arul Kanda is accused of abetting him.
Ali told the court he had served under prime ministers Najib, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his 16 years in the PMO. “I served under four prime ministers, or three personalities,” he said.
He also told the court that he had received a letter on June 11, 2015 informing him on his appointment as a 1MDB director.
“I told my secretary that I am turning down this offer because as KSN (chief secretary to the government) I am busy with my work,” he said, adding that he was told later the vacancy was filled by someone else.
On Sri Ram’s questions about his purported role in then attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail’s removal, Ali said he was instructed by Najib to send a letter to Gani removing him as the government’s advisor.
“After the PM received approval from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, I was asked to put my cover letter.
“I gave him (Gani) the letter when he was having a meeting. He opened the letter in front of me and then I left,” Ali added.
Earlier today, Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, asked Ali whether he knew that Gani’s successor, Mohamed Apandi Ali, had cleared the former prime minister of wrongdoing in both the 1MDB and SRC International cases.
Ali answered yes, that he had read about it in the news.
He also said he was unsure why Najib looked “upset” when he met the prime minister on Feb 22, 2016, and no one explained to him why.
Shafee: Your involvement was only to coordinate a meeting to resolve some controversial aspects of the 1MDB report?
Ali: Yes. I was told to mediate, and talking points were provided to me.
The witness could not confirm who prepared the talking points, except that the notes came from PMO.
“The PM informed me that talking points will be provided,” Ali said.
He also said Najib did not issue any orders to adopt either one of the 2014 financial statements.
“He said he will get to the bottom (of it) on the two statements,” Ali said, adding that Najib was concerned over the two conflicting financial statements.
The court previously heard that 1MDB had submitted two versions of its 2014 financial statements to the Companies Commission of Malaysia and Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc).
The hearing before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues tomorrow.