Zahid speaks to Najib (second right) outside the court. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer yesterday confirmed that lawyer and former MIC legal adviser Datuk Selva Mookiah was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November 2015 when the MACC went there to investigate the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.
MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir, 48, who was an investigating officer in the 1MDB case involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, told the High Court that the MACC had gone to Riyadh on Nov 29, 2015 to record a statement from an individual said to be an Arab prince, Prince Saud Abdul Aziz Malik Abdul Aziz.
The ninth defence witness said this when cross examined by deputy public prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram at Najib’s trial involving the misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, which entered its 86th day yesterday.
Mohd Nasharudin said while in Riyadh, the MACC also took a statement from Eric Tan Kim Loong, an alleged associate of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.
Sithambaram: To your knowledge, in what capacity was Selva there and who did he represent?
Mohd Nasharudin: I wasn’t sure about his assignment in Riyadh; I just knew that he was a lawyer and was in Riyadh at that time.
Sithambaram: Did at any time there Selva tell you that he was the lawyer representing Tan Kim Loong?
Mohd Nasharudin: No.
During the proceedings, Najib’s defence team led by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah also called two other MACC officers, who are the 10th and 11th defence witnesses, Azhari Karim and Ting Ing Ping, to confirm the statements recorded from Jho Low and Eric Tan in 2015.
Meanwhile, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya, who was subpoenaed two days ago, appeared in court today to testify as a defence witness.
Latheefa, however, told Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali that she had to attend an important meeting which also involved the heads of other agencies and asked to testify on Thursday.
Justice Mohd Nazlan granted the application.
Before yesterday’s proceedings ended, Muhammad Shafee told the court that former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad and Najib’s former principal private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Mohd Salleh had also been subpoenaed to testify in court.
Najib is making his defence on seven charges of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds, comprising three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of position in relation to the SRC funds.
The hearing continues today. — Bernama