KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former relationship manager at AmBank admitted that she did not consult him in handling his account and dealt with businessman Low Taek Jho instead.
Joanna Yu Gin Ping, 52, also concurred with Najib's lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, that Low was never authorised to manage the former prime minister's bank account.
The 41st prosecution witness said she only liaised with 1MDB's former chief investment officer who was mandated to handle the account and the rogue financier (Jho Low) when handling Najib's account at the bank.
Yu had testified earlier that she usually dealt with Low as the latter had initiated the opening of Najib's account. However, she agreed with Shafee that there was nothing in writing that authorised her to deal with Low regarding Najib's account.
Shafee: Is that a failure on your part as banks are very strict with these type of things? How come you took such an easy way out?
Yu: Yes. It is my failure.
Yu also agreed with Shafee that she nor the bank had not alerted Najib on the US$800 million transaction coming into his personal account.
Shafee: Did you not alert your client (Najib) at any time by saying, "you know Mr PM, I am not too comfortable with this amount, it looks not right"?
Yu: I did not. I do not think the bank did.
Shafee: Your bank did not alert Najib that there was anything wrong.
Yu: No.
Yu also added that she was terminated from the bank due to her handling of Najib's account.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.