KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) never had solid evidence to show that Datuk Seri Najib Razak was trying to hinder the probe in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal, the High Court heard today.
The former prime minister lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah accused MACC senior officer Nur Aida Arifin of making presumptuous observations, to which the latter disagreed.
The senior lawyer said this when cross-examining Nur Aida who is testifying as a star prosecution witness in Najib's corruption trial for misappropriating millions of funds belonging to the sovereign state fund.
Earlier, Nur Aida testified that Najib, who was then the finance minister, tried to hinder the 1MDB probe by restricting MACC's investigation, including attempting to close the case.
"While serving as prime minister, Najib undertook several actions, including replacing the MACC chief commissioner, ordering arrests of MACC officers, and ultimately leading to the former attorney-general, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, declaring the case as 'no further action' (NFA)."
Shafee then focused his line of questioning on the NFA by Apandi which the witness earlier stated came from a document containing talking points seized from Najib's former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.
Nur Aida said the document was prepared by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho based on Najib's instructions.
Shafee: Is there anything that shows the instructions (NFA) came from Najib?
Nur Aida: I have no direct evidence for that but everything that was stated in the notes really did happen. Amhari was Najib's own officer.
Shafee: He (Amhari) was 'bought' using Low's money. You surely cannot say that Najib is involved in that too?
Nur Aida: I did not investigate.
Shafee: You have no evidence to say that this is a direct order (NFA) from Najib
Nur Aida: The statement and notes seized from Amhari are enough.
Muhammad Shafee: You are an IO but you are talking like you are at a coffee shop.
Nur Aida: This is not a coffee shop, Tan Sri. Yes, there were no direct instructions but, in the investigation, as a whole, it did happen.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
Hearing before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.