Najib’s shock regarding deposits of RM42 million was a drama — DPP

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KUALA LUMPUR: Ad-hoc prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram yesterday described former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s shock at the RM42 million transfer into his current accounts from SRC International Sdn Bhd was just a drama as he did not take any legal action against the matter.

He recalled the testimony given by the Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman and former 1Malaysia People’s Foundation (YR1M) chief executive officer Ung Su Ling where Najib was “shocked” upon being told that somebody had deposited money into his personal bank accounts.

“The accused, if he was innocent of this sum of RM42 million paid into his account, should have sued the bank for unlawful deposit of the said sum which may well amount to his account being used for money laundering.

“The shock that the accused suffered should have been on learning that RM42 million was wrongfully transferred into his account, translated into a police report being lodged to show his outrage of unauthorised monies being paid into his account.

“No sitting Prime Minister would not make a police report … upon knowledge about the transfer,” he said in his submissions at the end of the prosecution case.

Sithambaram said, Najib’s failure to take none of the simple steps showed that the accused’s present cry of innocence could not be true.

“Therefore, the accused’s inaction were incredible of a person whose account could have been used to perpetuate a crime unless the accused was aware of the crime himself and feared any police report would expose him.

“When the monies went into the account, all were very happy. Today amazingly, my lord, a lot of drama in this court .. but when the money went into the account, there was no action taken, all (were) quite happy until the trial was initiated,” he said.

The hearing of submissions before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali had been fixed for two days beginning yesterday.

Najib, 66, is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust, one count of abusing his position and three counts of money laundering involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM42 million. — Bernama