KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer representing Datuk Seri Najib Razak today argued that his client was a victim of manipulation by ‘certain people’.
Harvinderjit Singh told the High Court that his client’s defence was centred on the argument that he had been manipulated by certain people who had “gained tremendously from him”.
He said this when arguing on why he should be allowed to question a witness on certain matters pertaining to the flow of money from one account to another related to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Harvinderjit had earlier tried to establish that money had flowed from SRC International to Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and on to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd before being disbursed to various other parties.
Gandingan Mentari is a SRC International subsidiary company while Ihsan Perdana was established as the corporate social responsibility unit of SRC International.
Harvinderjit said the defence wanted to show that money from SRC International to the two companies was moved on the instruction of two signatories.
However, deputy public prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram earlier objected to Harvinderjit’s line of questioning and said the lawyer should confine his cross-examinaton to the seven charges faced by Najib.
He said, the defence must show relevancy of touching on transactions not related to charges against Najib.
He said the prosecution’s case was related to RM42 million of SRC International money and this was all the accused needed to explain.
“Otherwise, we will be going on a wild goose chase.
“They (the defence) have not shown the relevance of bringing up the issue of other transactions,” he said.
High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali later ordered the defence to only concentrate to transactions connected to the charges against Najib.
Earlier, Affin Bank processing officer Rosaiah Mohamed Rosli confirmed that Ihsan Perdana’s bank account was credited with RM50 million between December 2014 and February 2015.
She said RM40 million was credited into the account on 24 Dec, 2014, RM5 million on 5 Feb, 2015 and another RM5 million the next day.
She said, the money was from Gandingan Mentari’s AmIslamic bank account.
Najib is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and one count of abuse of power over funds amounting to RM42 million linked to SRC International.
He is also facing three money laundering charges involving the same fund.
He faces up to 20 years’ jail and a fine for the offences.
The trial continues.