Najib replaced MACC chief to stop SRC, 1MDB probes, says witness

(From left) A witness said Najib Razak replaced then MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed with Dzulkifli Ahmad in July 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: A prosecution witness told the High Court today that Najib Razak appointed a new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner to stop the agency’s investigation into the SRC International and 1MDB corruption cases.

MACC investigating officer Nur Aida Arifin said Dzulkifli Ahmad was appointed the anti-graft agency’s chief commissioner in July 2016, replacing Abu Kassim Mohamed.

“I received instructions to discontinue the probe on 1MDB. I cannot remember who gave the instructions. I have to look at the investigation papers (for the information),” she said when examined by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib.

In July 2015, a special task force comprising officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), MACC, Bukit Aman and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) began a probe as reports emerged that millions of dollars in US currency were remitted from overseas into Najib’s private accounts.

Aida testified that Abu Kassim was replaced to protect Najib – the then prime minister and finance minister – from investigation and prosecution in the SRC and 1MDB cases.

At the time both GLCs were owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).

Najib was eventually charged with corruption and abuse of power in 2018 after Pakatan Harapan won federal power in the 14th general election (GE14).

The court today also heard nine audio recordings of conversations said to involve Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor, Dzulkifli and former Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

The prosecution claims the recordings prove that Najib wanted to scuttle the 1MDB and SRC probes after the task force began its work.

In one of the recordings Dzulkifli, then with the AGC, is heard telling Azeez, a confidante of Najib, that the investigations into SRC and 1MDB did not look good for the then prime minister.

Aida said her investigations also revealed that Good Star, Blackstone, Tanore Finance Corporation and Vista Equity International all had links with 1MDB.

“Good Star belongs to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, while the rest are owned by Tan Kim Loong,” she added.

According to Aida, her investigations also revealed that the sum of US$100 million did not come from an Arab royal family, as alleged.

“There was also no evidence that he (Najib) acknowledged the contribution from the donor, (the late) King Abdullah,” she said.

Aida said the US$620 million – equivalent to RM2.03 billion at the time – in funds which Najib returned in August 2013 went only to Tanore Finance.

She added that Najib had also never lodged any report with the police or MACC against Jho Low or any of the 1MDB officials when he was prime minister.

Najib is charged with 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to US$681 million (RM2.28 billion) deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.