KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today questioned why there was no prosecution against Datuk Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, for receiving millions from fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.
Najib said that according to the sworn testimony of banker Tim Leissner during his corruption trial in the United States, Leissner revealed that Tawfiq had leveraged his wife's position to facilitate approval in exchange for a bribe.
"I also came to know during this trial that on the instructions of Low to Sherman and Sterling to Iron Rapsody, an account owned by Tawfiq had received US$6,250,000 and US$732,234 on Dec 17, 2019, and May 21, 2010, respectively.
"According to the evidence produced during this trial, Low instructed Asset Central Holding, a company he owned, to remit US$1,250,000 on Dec 18, 2009, to Iron Rapsody.
"To date, no action has been taken against Tawfiq or Zeti despite clear evidence of their involvement.
"Instead, I have been singled out as the sole individual aggressively pursued by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
"This glaring disparity underscores the deliberate and targeted agenda of political prosecution against me," he said.
The former prime minister said this in his witness statement to defend himself from all power abuse and money laundering charges involving RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Najib said he was appalled by the selective prosecution, which he described as willful blindness, despite the fact that Singapore's Monetary Authority (MAS) had found Zeti's transactions so troubling that they alerted BNM.
The Pekan member of Parliament said the report, unfortunately, by MAS was like 'reporting the number of the sheep in the pound of the wolf'.
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.
The trial before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.