This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on February 28, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer confirmed yesterday the authenticity of four letters linked to an alleged donation that the Saudi Arabia royals had given former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The officer, Mohd Nasharudin Amir, also testified that the admission did not come from the Saudi royal but his legal representative.

Mohd Nasharudin, who was the investigation officer during the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) probe, confirmed the authenticity of these letters when asked by lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

He was testifying as a defence witness in the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial of the former premier.

Mohd Nasharudin testified that the MACC on Nov 29, 2015 went to record a statement from Prince Saud Abdul Aziz Malik Abdul Aziz al-Saud at the palace of then Saudi ruler King Abdullah in Riyadh.

But instead of meeting the prince, a legal representative named Abdullah Al Koman showed up on the prince’s behalf.

Mohd Nasharudin also testified that Al Koman was the one who signed the statement that he had given the MACC on behalf of the prince.

Muhammad Shafee: Did Al Koman make a statement to the MACC which is consistent with the donation letters marked 601 to 604?

Mohd Nasharudin: I cannot say as the person who confirmed this (with the MACC) is not the same person that signed the four letters.

Muhammad Shafee: The court has been informed of this, but does the recorded statement (from Al Koman) state that the money was a donation?

Mohd Nasharudin: Yes.

Mohd Nasharudin told Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali that he went to Saudi Arabia between Nov 27 and 29 in 2015 together with former deputy public prosecutor Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki and officers Mohd Hafaz Nazar and Fikri Ab Rahim as part of the 1MDB investigation.

Mohd Nasharudin also testified that while Al Koman’s statement was being taken, Eric Tan Kim Loong was in the room.

Tan is a close associate of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, more commonly known as Jho Low.

Muhammad Shafee also questioned Mohd Nasharudin on the events after the Malaysian delegation had taken the statement from Al Koman, including whether the witness had gone to Mecca on a private jet courtesy of the royals.

Mohd Nasharudin answered in the affirmative but explained that he just followed the others.

“Don’t worry, I am not trying to imply anything here. I just want to show the hospitality of the Saudi royals,” he said.

Mohd Nasharudin did however testify that it was not proper that a representative of the prince gave a statement instead of the prince himself.

Appointed prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram asked the witness whether it was proper for Al Koman to sign the witness statement instead of the prince himself.

Sithambaram: As an investigating officer, can someone other than the person named in the statement (Prince Saud) sign the statement?

Mohd Nasharudin: No. They cannot.

Mohd Nasharudin was then asked by Sithambaram to verify if Najib met with King Abdullah on January 11, 2010.

The officer responded by saying that he will bring the relevant documents next week when the trial resumes.