KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak believed that millions of funds he received from Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners Ltd (Blackstone) was owned by King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
It was revealed that Blackstone was a shell company set up by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low intentionally to resemble a private equity real estate firm Blackstone Real Est to siphon off millions of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior officer Nur Aida Arifin said the former prime minister during investigation was never shown any documents indicating that Blackstone was indeed belonged to Low.
She said this when testifying under cross-examination by Najib's counsel Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin in the Najib's corruption trial for misappropriating millions of funds belonging to the sovereign state fund.
Nur Aida also agreed with Wan Azwan's contention that Najib never instructed Blackstone's beneficiary Eric Tan Kim Loon, who is also believed to be one of Low's proxy, to transfer RM90.9 million into his Ambank account in 2012.
Wan Aiman: Najib during interrogation said he believed that Blackstone was owned by the late King Abdullah?
Nur Aida: Yes.
Wan Aiman: He (Najib) was never shown any document to indicate that Eric Tan was a beneficiary of Blackstone?
Nur Aida: I agree.
Wan Aiman: The MACC also did not record any statement from Eric Tan regarding the transaction (RM90.9 million)
Nur Aida: Yes.
On Sept 19, last year, a witness from Bank Negara Malaysia analyst Adam Ariff Mohd Roslan, 29, when testifying in the same trial said Najib received US$30 million from Blackstone in 2012.
He said the monies were remitted in two tranches – US$5 million on Oct 30, 2012, and US$25 million on Nov 19, the same year.
"Standard Chartered bank for ordering customer Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners records confirm that the beneficiary account for both transfers is account number '2112022009694' held under the name 'AmPrivate Banking – MR' with AmIslamic.
"Examination on the bank statement and records dated on Oct 31, 2012 and Nov 20, 2012 for the account number 2112022009694 maintained in the name of "AmPrivate Banking – MR and/or Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak' provided by AmIslamic, matched the transfers," he said.
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.
Hearing before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.