KUALA LUMPUR: No reports were lodged with the authorities including the police when rumours on the world’s biggest financial scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) first broke out in 2015.
This was revealed in the High Court by key prosecution witness Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin who was Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s former special officer.
Amhari, 43, testified that he had not received instructions from the former prime minister to lodge a police report or to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the embezzlement of the 1MDB funds when it became a ‘hot’ issue in 2015.
He said matters relating to 1MDB would usually be a topic brought up in the management meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), but it was not discussed in detail.
“For example, issues pertaining to PetroSaudi, which was said to be misappropriated from 1MDB. This includes the extravagant life style of Jho Low (fugitive businessman linked to the 1MDB scandal) and the movie Wolf of Wall Street which was said to be money from 1MDB,” he said.
Under re-examination by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, Amhari was asked to revisit an incident in 2015 when Najib’s principal private secretary who is also Amhari’s ex-boss, the late Datuk Azlin Alias exclaimed ‘Duit 1MDB lah bro..’ after a meeting.
To this, the witness said he interpreted that Azlin’s expression was referring to the biggest most difficult problems, specifically the misappropriation of money from 1MDB used for the film “Wolf of Wall Street”, produced by Riza Aziz, Najib’s stepson, and PetroSaudi deals.
“It was a tough year for the PMO and Najib because at that time from end of 2014 and in 2015, there were a lot of reports, documents, evidence on the embezzlement issue that were brought out and displayed (to the public).
“In 2015, the office was receiving a lot of attacks on the 1MDB issue. We at the PMO decided to defend (Najib) because we believed that it was a conspiracy against the PM.
“When Azlin came down from the PM’s office and said “Duit 1MDB lah bro”, as far as I know there was no hotter issue than the issue of the embezzlement of 1MDB funds.
"It was surrounding the issue of Wolf of Wall Street and Petro Saudi,” he said.
Amhari, the eighth witness, who was called to testify on Sept 3, was released from the witness stand today.
Trial continues before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah with the next witnes, former 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim taking the stand.
Najib, 66, is facing four charges of having used his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same money.