Former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman confirmed the amount that was deposited into Najib’s account, when re-examined by ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram.
Sri Ram: Based on exhibits shown to you, can you confirm about RM49 million went into the accused’s bank account?
Hazem: Yes.
Earlier, Hazem, the 10th prosecution witness, said he had to follow Low Taek Jho’s instructions as the fugitive financier, also known as Jho Low, was the “PM’s man”.
He said this when Sri Ram asked him to clarify his statement when under cross-examination that he did not manage 1MDB according to its constitution and the Companies Act.
Sri Ram: You agreed with the suggestion put by the defence. Now, can you tell us what was the real situation on the ground?
Hazem: I had to follow Jho Low’s instructions. To me, Jho Low was the PM’s man as he was carrying out Najib’s instructions.
Hazem said he never received any instructions from Najib to disobey Jho Low’s directives.
In the prosecution’s opening statement on Aug 28, 2019, Sri Ram had said an important character in the 1MDB charade was Jho Low, a “fugitive from justice” who was first involved in the Terengganu Investment Authority and later in 1MDB.
Sri Ram said the prosecution would prove that Najib, by his words and conduct, made it clear to 1MDB’s officers, its board and others that Jho Low was his alter ego.
In truth, he said, Jho Low was Najib’s mirror image.
He said the prosecution would establish facts “which will give rise to an irresistible inference that Jho Low and Najib acted as one at all material times”.
Today, Hazem said Najib and Jho Low were “very, very close”.
“This was my observation when I was at Najib’s private residence at Taman Duta on Nov 28, 2013 for a meeting. Jho Low was also there,” he said.
Najib is standing trial on 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
The hearing before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.