This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on December 10, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he was shocked that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) was dealing with AmBank on managing his personal accounts.

“I cannot explain this. I am utterly shocked that the bank deals with Jho Low although the power was only given to [former SRC International Sdn Bhd managing director (MD)] Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

“I have never allowed Jho Low to deal with the bank concerning my bank accounts and I was not informed [about] this,” said Najib.

He said Jho Low chose to not inform him about this arrangement.

“Jho Low chose to not inform me [about] his involvement in dealing with my accounts. This is evident from this trial and the discovery of documents that he had been actively hiding the fact from me,” the former prime minister said.

He also denied giving directives to Jho Low resulting in Nik Faisal signing several letters to the bank to perform transactions.

“I did not give such instructions and was only made aware through the testimonies in court and hence, I am shocked,” Najib said.

He reiterated that he found Nik Faisal overstepped his bounds when appointed by the former premier to help manage his accounts.

Najib went on to say he believes his chief private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias, was also cheated by Jho Low and Nik Faisal, using their influence to manipulate the bank to further their interests.

“I know Azlin as a person of integrity and respected in his dealings,” he replied to lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed’s questions. Nik Faisal and Jho Low are still at large abroad.

Najib further claimed that former Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) chief executive officer Ung Su Ling was not telling the whole truth in court when she said she was instructed by Azlin to transfer funds from SRC’s corporate social responsibility partner Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd into the premier’s accounts.

“The trial has shown Ung is an associate of Jho Low and would follow his directions. Ung has not been able to show any support to her claim that Azlin had instructed her to do the transfer, or [was] involved in the transfer. I believe Ung used Azlin’s name to [hide] the role played by Jho Low.

“My lawyer’s cross-examination has shown the BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) messages between Yu [and Jho Low] revealed Ung was directed by Jho Low,” Najib said.

He alleged that Ung and YR1M project director Dennis See Thuan Buan cheated Ihsan Perdana MD Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman to transfer money from the company into Najib’s accounts.

The former premier met Shamsul after he was remanded.

“I told him that I was shocked concerning newspaper reports at that time, claiming SRC money was channelled into my accounts through Ihsan Perdana.

“Shamsul told me that all the transactions were correct and I asked him why he transferred the money and he told me that Ung and See did not inform him that the accounts are owned by me (Najib),” he added yesterday.

Najib is battling three counts of criminal breach of trust, one charge of abusing his power as prime minister and three counts of money laundering concerning RM42 million of SRC funds.

If convicted, he may be jailed up to 20 years and fined RM5 million or five times the amount of money laundered, whichever is higher.