Najib-SRC Trial: MACC Shoddy Probe Exposed
The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC)
By Syamimi Che Soh
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had allegedly conducted a shoddy investigation on the financial manipulation of former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s private accounts vis-a-vis the SRC International Sdn Bhd.
The suspicion was evoked by the testimony of investigating officer (IO) Rosli Hussain at Kuala Lumpur High Court today, Tuesday, August 20, 2019.
During a cross-examination on the 54th hearing day of the trial, Rosli testified that the MACC initiated a probe into Datuk Seri Najib’s private accounts in Ambank after a blog, Sarawak Report (SR) published an article titled: ‘Sensational Findings – Prime Minister Najib Razak Personal Accounts Linked To 1MDB Money Trail’ – on July 2, 2015.
SR is operated by British mercenary writer Clare Rewcastle Brown.
Following the publication of the article, a MACC officer, namely Prem Raj, lodged a graft report on the next day, July 3, to initiate an investigation.
Despite SR and Clare Brown “inspiring” the MACC probe, Rosli, who was appointed as the case IO on July 6, never had interviewed the Briton.
SR and the WSJ are the two main media outlets that had carried out on a worldwide campaign to smear Najib with dubious graft allegations.
One can recall that Clare Brown had always claimed to have tonnes of smoking evidence to substantiate all her dubious allegations against Najib pertaining to 1MDB.
But, of the 193 people that Rosli had either interviewed or talked to, or recorded statements, the name of Clare Brown was shockingly missing.
Even more shocking was his answer during the cross-examination by the defence today.
“No necessity to meet her,” testified Rosli when asked whether he had recorded a statement or collected evidence from the “gun for hire” Clare Brown to assist his investigation.
Clare Brown-SR slanders on Najib and 1MDB acted as the catalyst agent to trigger the anti-Najib campaign that eventually paved way for the return of Tun Mahathir Mohamad as country’s 7th Prime Minister in the 14th General Election (GE14).
But MACC decided that Clare Brown was not an important material witness for such a high profile trial!
Pekan MP Najib currently faces 7 corruption charges involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.
The charges were 3 each for CBT under Section 409 of the Penal Code and money laundering under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLA) Act 2001, and 1 for abuse of power under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.
Najib, 66, was charged with committing the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Aug 17, 2011, and Feb 10, 2015.
Rosli had also interviewed and recorded statements from many others, who were not called up to testify before presiding Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
Most notable of them were ex-Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, fugitive businessman Low Thaek Jho or Jho Low, SRC International’s former CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and ex-financial officer Terence Geh Cho Heng, Jho Low’s business partner Rosman Abdullah of Putra Perdana Group of Companies, money changer Ariffin Ismail Sahul Hameed of Mail Global Resources Sdn Bhd, Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) project director Daniel See Thuan Buan and officer Kee Kok Chiam, and many more.
These people have either been omitted by MACC as witnesses or had fled the country.
Among those who fled were Jho Low, Nik Faisal and Kok Chiam – the person who made cash deposits into Najib’s accounts on Jho Low’s instructions, and Terence Geh.
Surprisingly Zeti’s statement was recorded in August 2018, only after Najib was charged.
Najib-SRC trial is scheduled to be completed this week with Rosli as the final 57th witness.
Najib-SRC Trial: MACC Slept On The Job & Let Jho Low, Nik Faisal To Escape
By Aathi Shankar
Low Taek Jho or Jho Low and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil fled the country in May 2015 right under the watchful eyes of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.
Nik Faisal apparently escaped from Malaysia via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on May 7, 2019, two days before the 14th General Election (GE14) balloting day.
Malaysian Immigration revoked Nik Faisal’s passport on May 27, 2019 and an arrest warrant was issued on the former SRC International Sdn Bhd chief executive officer (CEO) on the same day.
Fugitive Malaysian businessman Jho Low escaped on May 29, and his passport was revoked and an arrest warrant was slapped on him on June 16, 2018.
MACC investigation officer (IO) Rosli Hussain revealed this before Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali at the Datuk Seri Najib Razak corruption trial pertaining to SRC International on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.
After 52 days and with Rosli being the 57th prosecution witness, the trial has clearly exposed Jho Low and Nik Faisal as prime suspects behind the fraudulent scam to manipulate Najib’s private accounts in Ambank.
Hence, the duo fleeing the country while being on MACC radar during and after GE14, which was won by Pakatan Harapan, has exposed the anti-graft agency’s appalling incompetence and recklessness in handling Najib-SRC case.
Or was MACC only targeting Najib? Was it mere political persecution?
The case IO Rosli has recorded statements from both Nik Faisal and Jho Low in 2015.
Nik Faisal’s statements were recorded twice in Jakarta, Indonesia, first on October 17 and the second, late in the same month.
On November 27, Rosli met and recorded a statement from Jho Low in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of United Arab Emirates.
The MACC, however, allowed bail without bond to let Jho Low and Nik Faisal to roam around freely after recording the statements.
Rosli testified that MACC was “convinced” with verbal guarantees given by the duo that they would return to assist investigations when summoned.
Under the anti-corruption law, MACC will record only a statement from a person, who is a witness to the case.
The witness may be summoned to testify in court later if and when needed.
However, if a person was believed to be a suspect in the case, MACC would arrest and charge the person after recording the statement.
The ongoing Najib’s trial has proven that both Jho Low and Nik Faisal were prime suspects of the Najib-SRC case.
Why MACC did not detain and charge them?
It’s baffling to know that MACC slept on its job and allowed the main suspects to escape from the country by trusting their mere verbal assurances.
Rosli told the court that sometime after GE14 he had sought the help of Bukit Aman police to nab Jho Low after learning that the suspect was with his friend Eric Tan Kim Loong at Maggie and Rose Family Members Club in an elite residential area Repulse Bay, Hong Kong.
However, Bukit Aman was unsuccessful in its attempts as Hong Kong police failed to detain Jho Low.
Najib currently faces seven corruption charges pertaining to misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International.
The charges were 3 each for CBT under Section 409 of the Penal Code and money laundering under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLA) Act 2001, and 1 for abuse of power under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act (MACC) 2009.
Najib was charged with committing the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Aug 17, 2011, and Feb 10, 2015.
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