Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad chief executive officer (CEO) said he still believed that UMNO had benefited from the sovereign wealth fund despite the absence of evidence of monies being sent to the political party.
Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman, 47, told the High Court today that although the idea of 1MDB existed purely to service UMNO might sound insane, he believed it as this was conveyed by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low to him in the presence of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s former principal private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias.
“I will repeat what I have said before that in 1MDB, it was either you followed along (with the instructions) or not,” said the 10th prosecution witness during cross-examination by Najib’s lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in the former premier’s 1MDB trial.
Muhammad Shafee: I’m asking you a fundamental question. At this point, another 1MDB former CEO, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi never said that 1MDB existed for UMNO. You are the first witness to say that. Why would UMNO benefit from it? How can you believe that?
Mohd Hazem: Basically, I was just following the instructions. From the legal perspective, it doesn’t make any sense.
Muhammad Shafee: Now you know that benefiting UMNO like this is criminal?
Mohd Hazem: Yes.
Muhammad Shafee said the idea of UMNO benefiting from 1MDB would cause a lot of people, including the 1MDB board of directors, to be in prison, to which Mohd Hazem agreed.
However, the witness said throughout his two-year tenure as the CEO of 1MDB, he never saw any evidence of benefits being delivered to UMNO or Najib himself.
Mohd Hazem said he did raise concern over the matter (1MDB to service UMNO) to former 1MDB chairman, Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin.
The lawyer further suggested that Mohd Hazem was not being honest when he claimed that he was too terrified of Najib that he tolerated the criminal ways in 1MDB, to which the witness answered it was his opinion then (when he was still the CEO of 1MDB).
Muhammad Shafee: I’m putting it to you that if you were part of it, you could tolerate it.
Mohd Hazem: I disagree.
Muhammad Shafee: Yet when you resigned, they awarded you with a bonus. How much?
Mohd Hazem: Yes. The gross amount was more than RM2 million.
Muhammad Shafee: It was RM2.725 million. Doesn’t it strike you as comedy that for all the criminal things you were asked to do, you were rewarded with RM2.725 million?
Mohd Hazem: Yes.
Najib, 67, 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 Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.
Earlier reports:
Feb 15, Najib’s 1MDB trial: 1MDB’s senior executive meetings held in Jho Low’s apartment
Feb 10, Najib’s 1MDB trial: Najib claimed Saudi prince “donated” to 1MDB’s charity arm
Feb 9, Najib’s 1MDB trial: Najib received RM2.973b from 1MDB
Feb 9, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Jho Low known as “PMO” in 1MDB board meetings was “the man”
Feb 8, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Ex-CEO says in 1MDB, you either follow instructions or quit
Jan 6, Najib’s 1MDB trial: Day 52
Jan 5, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 51
Sept 17, 2020, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 50
Sept 15, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 49
Sept 14, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 48
Sept 3, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 47
Sept 2, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 46
Sept 1, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 45
Aug 17, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 44
Aug 5, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 43
Aug 4, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 42
Aug 3, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 41
Jul 17, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Set to Last Until at Least June 2021
Jul 16, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 39
Jul 15, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 38
Jul 1, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 37
Jun 30, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 36
May 21, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 35
May 21, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 34
May 19, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 33
Nov 11, 2019, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 32
Nov 7, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 31
Nov 6, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 30
Nov 5, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 30
Nov 4, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 28
Nov 4, 1MDB Trial: Judge Reprimands Najib After Tg Piai Trip
Oct 31, Najib Calls in Sick with Swollen Eyes, 1MDB Trial Postponed Yet Again
Oct 30, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 27
Oct 29, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 26
Oct 24, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 25
Oct 24, Najib Asks Prosecution to Hand Over Justo’s Information Given to MACC
Oct 21, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 24
Oct 17, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 23
Oct 17, Jho Low Changed 1MDB Constitution to Give Najib Absolute Power
Oct 16, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 22
Oct 14, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 21
Oct 10, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 20
Oct 9, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 19
Oct 8, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 18
Oct 7, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 17
Oct 7, Some Umno People Envious of Jho Low-Najib Ties, Court Told
Oct 1, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 16
Oct 1, Arul Kanda Told Ex-1MDB CEO to Leave Country to Avoid PAC Meeting
Oct 1, Ex-1MDB CEO Paid RM99K Monthly, RM1.5M Bonus
Oct 1, Jho Low Helped Plan Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Trip to Sway Voters for GE13
Sept 30, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 15
Sept 30, Witness: Najib Used 1MDB to Raise Funds for GE13
Sept 26, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 14
Sept 26, Jho Low, Tim Leissner Played “Matchmaker” for Najib to Meet Goldman Sachs
Sept 26, US$9M Transferred from Jho Low’s Good Star to Riza Aziz’s Red Granite Pictures
Sept 26, Jho Low, Najib Faked Meeting Minutes to Move US$750M from 1MDB to PSI
Sept 26, Najib Agreed to 1MDB Borrowing RM3B from SOCSO to Lend to PetroSaudi
Sept 25, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 13
Sept 24, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 12
Sept 23, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 11
Sept 19, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 10
Sept 18, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Nine
Sept 18, Najib’s Ex-Aide Led MACC to Raid on Jho Low’s Apartment
Sept 18, Najib’s 1MDB Trial Halted Briefly for Najib to See Eye Specialist
Sept 17, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Eight
Sept 17, Witness Identifies Riza Aziz, Arul Kanda and Five Others as Key Players in 1MDB Saga
Sept 17, Bono, Queen of Jordan, Rosmah Floated as Trustees for TIA
Sept 17, Witness Says 1MDB Najib’s Baby, Defence Claims It Was Terengganu Sultan’s Idea
Sept 11, Najib’s Eye Infection Halts 1MDB Trial
Sept 10, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Six
Sept 10, Rosmah Fond of Jho Low
Sept 10, Najib’s Ex-Aide: Jho Low Provided Scripted Responses to Deny His Involvement in 1MDB
Sept 10, Istana Negara Questioned Jho Low’s Role in 1MDB Predecessor TIA
Sept 5, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Five
Sept 5, 1MDB Trial: Judge Raps Shafee over Najib’s Tardiness
Sept 5, 1MDB Trial: Najib’s Ex-Aide Took US$200K Loan from Jho Low to Buy Property
Sept 5, 1MDB Trial: Najib’s Ex-Aide Accused of Lying
Sept 4, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Four
Sept 4, Najib’s Ex-Aide: Mudabala CEO Was Promised All Sorts of Things
Sept 4, Najib’s Ex-Aide, Jho Low on “Secret China Mission” to Bail Out 1MDB
Sept 4, Jho Low Ordered Najib’s Ex-Aides to Open Overseas Bank Accounts
Sept 3, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Three
Sept 3, Najib’s Ex-Aide: Jho Low Drew Out Wealth Fund Concept on Kitchen Whiteboard
Sept 3, Jho Low Gave Possibly Forged Letters from Saudi Arabia to Stop 1MDB Probe
Sept 3, Only Najib and Jho Low Knew “Full Picture” of 1MDB Plan
Sept 3, Jho Low in Najib’s Inner Circle
Aug 29, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Two
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day One
Aug 28, Shafee: Prove Najib Knew Arab Donation Letter Faked, Jho Low Is Najib’s Alter Ego
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Shafee Again Questions Sri Ram’s Appointment
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Gopal Sri Ram’s Full Opening Statement
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Prosecution to Show Saudi Donations a Sham
Aug 28, Najib’s 1 MDB Trial: Prosecution to Prove Jho Low Was Najib’s Alter Ego
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial Begins