KUALA LUMPUR: The investigation into money laundering allegations against Datuk Seri Najib Razak was still ongoing when the former prime minister was brought to court to face charges related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd's funds.
Assistant director of the Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division Assistant Commissioner Foo Wei Min said he continued to interrogate Najib about an alleged money laundering transaction a few weeks after the latter was charged in court in September 2018.
He said the former Pekan member of parliament declined to answer his questions, stating that he would address the allegations in court.
Foo, who is the investigating officer for Najib's money laundering charges, said this scene occurred when he interrogated Najib on Oct 3, 2018, two weeks after he was charged with the offence.
The 48th prosecution witness said Najib only stated "I will answer in court" when questioned about five transactions involving a sum of RM2.27 billion related to the power abuse charge and money laundering of 1MDB funds.
The five transactions in 2013 were pertaining the RM20 million cheque deposited into Umno's account; RM100,000 cheque into Umno Batu Kawan; RM246,000 cheque into businessman Lim Soon Peng; RM2 million cheque to Orb Solutions Sdn Bhd; and RM303,000 cheque into Semarak Konsortium Satu Sdn Bhd account.
Foo also agreed with Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's contention that Najib was not given a chance to explain the transactions before being charged in court.
He also confirmed that Najib had provided his full cooperation by answering every question during the interrogation before being taken to court.
Shafee also pressed the witness about why he needed to continue the interrogation after the charges were leveled against his client, implying a 'higher power' had compelled him to question Najib.
To this, Foo said he needed to know about the transactions as they involved money that Najib allegedly received from the shell company Tanore Finance Corporation.
Zooming in on the Tanore phase, the senior lawyer insisted that Najib was not aware that Tanore was owned by the fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho's proxy, Eric Tan Kim Loong or Fat Eric.
He said his client had been under the impression that the company might be linked to the Saudi royal family all this while.
He said the authorities never investigated his client's 'genuine belief' that he though the money he received from Tanore was donations from the Saudi royalties.
Shafee asserted that Najib had delegated the management of his bank accounts to Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, a former chief investment officer of 1MDB as he was busy running the country as the then prime minister.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
Hearing before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.