KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s case involving the misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International funds said there was overwhelming evidence to show the former prime minister had committed offences he was charged with.
Lead prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram said all fingers pointed to the fact that Najib had committed criminal breach of trust (CBT) and, therefore, acted dishonestly.
Najib, he said should be ordered to enter his defence on all the charges.
In his submissions today, Sithambaram touched on a number of issues which had been touched on today by the defence, including what was raised by one of Najib’s lawyer — Harvinderjit Singh.
Sithambaram said the defence had claimed that their client “had been served a raw deal” if it was indeed true he only got RM42 million from the RM4 billion that was allegedly siphoned out of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) — the parent company of SRC International.
“I agree that it would have been a raw deal.
“However, the balance of it all is lying in Switzerland … the money has been frozen,” he said.
Sithambaram added that it was clear this was a planned, pre-meditated CBT case where money came into the accused’s personal account and he spent it.
“It was a well designed, well planned, well executed case of CBT committed by a person holding the highest office in the country.
“The money trail coming into SRC International only had one direction out - into the accused’s account … a lot of names were mentioned but only one person benefitted.
“The balance of the money is lying somewhere, who has it we don’t know,” he said.
Touching on the so-called cut and paste signatures on documents, Sithambaram said it was all an afterthought as no police reports had ever been lodged about these.
“Only now is this drama being played out. Any normal person would have lodged a police report and have it investigated if their account was being used.
“He should have sued the bank for using his account for money laundering. None of these simple steps were taken,” he said.
Sithambaram also touched on how Najib had been using all the funds that were in his account as though money grew on trees.
He said it was hard to believe that the accused, who was then the finance minister managing the purse strings of the country, did not know how to oversee his own personal banking accounts.
Najib, 66, is accused of using his office for gratification, three charges of Criminal Breach of Trust and three charges of money laundering.
The prosecution has called 57 witnesses over 57 days before submissions began today.
Najib was represented by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Harvinderjit, Farhan Read and several other lawyers.
The prosecution was conducted by Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, Sithambaram, Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah, Manoj Kurup, Ishak Mohd Yusoff, Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim, Donald Joseph Franklin, Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, Budiman Lutfi Mohamed, Sulaiman Kho Kheng Fuei, Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul, and Muhammad Izzat Fauzan.
More to come.