Azmi Tahir, who was 1MDB’s chief financial officer, described Najib’s presence at a Dec 15, 2013 meeting as “significant”.
“He agreed to meet KPMG to resolve the financial statements,” he said in response to a question from ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram on whether Najib had shown any interest in 1MDB matters.
He said the meeting was held at Najib’s home in Langgak Duta.
The meeting was called by Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, after KPMG raised questions on 1MDB’s US$2.3 billion investment in Brazen Sky Ltd and refused to sign off on its 2013 financial statements.
Besides Najib and Azmi, those present included former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, former chairman Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Najib’s late principal private secretary Azlin Alias and former BSI Bank senior banker Yak Yew Chee.
KPMG was subsequently removed as 1MDB auditors and replaced by Deloitte.
Azmi also said he went to Abu Dhabi, where he met Najib and several officers from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
He said he had been instructed by Jho Low to meet Najib in the Middle East to discuss the “bad press” against 1MDB by the publisher The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd. However, he did not state when the trip took place.
“There were a series of negative reports where The Edge questioned 1MDB on the purchase of our IPPs (independent power plants), linking it to Datuk Seri (Najib).
“Jho Low initially asked me to compile the news reports and later told me I had to go to Abu Dhabi,” he said.
He said that after arriving outside Najib’s hotel room in Abu Dhabi, two men stopped him from entering the room.
“I told them I was there to meet Datuk Seri and they asked me to wait.
“At the same time, I texted Jho Low to say the two men didn’t want to let me in.
“After I spoke to Jho Low, the door was opened. I believe he must have spoken to someone inside.”
Azmi said Najib stepped into the room a few minutes later with several PMO staff members.
“We had a short discussion and I presented what I had found,” he said.
Sri Ram: From your observation, what was the accused’s attitude?
Azmi: He was trying to decide whether to take action against The Edge because of these “attacks”.
Najib is standing trial on 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power over the alleged misuse of 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 on Dec 13.