Jamil agrees that the alleged Arab donation to Najib was hushed up and kept from the public.
9am: Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak enters the Kuala Lumpur High Court and takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery.
Also in court are DPP V Sithambaram and other DPPs, as well as members of the accused’s defence team.
9.38am: Najib enters the dock as proceedings begin.
9.42am: Former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom enters the witness stand and takes his oath before giving his testimony in the defence stage of Najib’s RM42 million SRC International trial.
9.49am: Jamil begins reading out from his witness statement as the fifth defence witness.
9.59am: Then Saudi ruler King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud chose to transfer financial aid into Najib’s account in order to avoid complications of how political organisations spend the money, Jamil testifies.
Jamil testifies that King Abdullah promised this to Najib just after they had an informal meeting at Riyadh on Jan 11, 2010.
“I was made to understand that the funds were transferred into the personal account of Najib Razak to streamline the political journey of Najib Razak and that King Abdullah was also concerned that direct transfer into any political organisation entities would complicate way the funds are spent,” Jamil says.
Jamil says he was part of the Malaysian delegation with Najib who attended the informal meeting on Jan 11, 2010.
10.05am: Jamil has finished up reading his nine-page witness statement.
10.17am: Jamil testifies that he was right behind King and Najib when the monarch promised to transfer financial aid into the then premier’s personal account.
During examination-in-chief by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the fifth defence witness says that he could hear every word of discussion between King Abdullah and Najib, the words translated into Arab and English by their respective interpreters.
Shafee: Can you hear every discussion between King Abdullah and Najib? Can you hear everything?
Jamil: While moving away (from the informal meeting), I was right behind Najib at the time. (My) Position was the same as King Abdullah’s interpreter, and I was behind Najib. We could hear what was communicated by King Abdullah and Najib’s response.
Jamil adds that he could understand Arab language due to his educational background in Islamic religious studies and the Arab language.
10.25am: Jamil testifies that it’s a norm for King Abdullah to offer gifts beyond one’s expectation.
“I was also gifted with a pen containing a diamond. Usually (this kind of gift) is a mark of respect. To him (the king), this is normal.
“If he gives a Rolex watch, it’s hard to find a similar watch in the market,” he says during examination-in-chief by Shafee.
10.30am: High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allows proceedings to adjourn for an hour until 11.30am.
This is to allow the prosecution to go through the amended copy of Jamil’s witness statement. Earlier, Sithambaram informed the court that they were only served with an amended copy of Jamil’s witness statement this morning.
11.35am: Proceedings resume.
11.43am: Jamil disagrees with the prosecution’s assertion that King Abdullah only promised non-monetary support to Najib.
Jamil says this during cross-examination by Sithambaram.
Sithambaram: I say that the meeting on Jan 11, 2010, (between Najib and King Abdullah in Riyadh) only had King Abdullah personally give assurance to Datuk Seri (Najib) that His Majesty (King Abdullah) would only give support so that Datuk Seri can continue to administer this country (Malaysia) as a good example of a (moderate) Islamic country.
Jamil Khir: King Abdullah gave support, including financial (support).
Sithambaram: There was never any time on Jan 11, 2010, that King Abdullah gave support via financial donation.
Jamil Khir: King Abdullah’s assurance was financial that day.
Sithambaram: I suggest that is not true.
Jamil Khir: I disagree.
11.46am: Jamil and Sithambaram engages in verbal sparring over the truthfulness of an alleged promise of donation by King Abdullah to Najib on Jan 11, 2010.
During cross-examination, Sithambaram asserts that there was no truth that there was such a promise given on Jan 11, 2010, while Jamil counters that King Abdullah did give the promise to Najib.
Sithambaram: I say that your testimony that there was such a discussion (between King Abdullah and Najib over the donation) on Jan 11, 2010, in relation to the 13th General Election is not true?
Jamil Khir: Disagree.
Sithambaram: I say that King Abdullah (allegedly) stating that the donation would be sent (to Najib) soon (after the informal Jan 11, 2010, meeting between Najib-led Malaysian delegation and King Abdullah at Riyadh) is not true.
Jamil Khir: Disagree.
Jamil Khir also disagrees with Sithambaram’s assertion that he had given false testimony over King Abdullah allegedly having promised to transfer the donation into Najib’s private account.
11.50am: Jamil testifies that King Abdullah did not state during the 2010 meeting the amount of money that he would be donating to Najib.
The king also did not say who would send the donation to Najib, he says when asked by deputy public prosecutor Sithambaram.
11.57am: Jamil tells the court that it was the government through Najib who asked Saudi Arabia for a fund contribution.
When questioned by DPP V Sithambaram whether Malaysia through the then prime minister had sought a donation from Saudi or was it Saudi which offered it, Jamil says: “We know it as a request.”
He adds that to his knowledge the financial request was never discussed in the cabinet.
“As far as I’m concerned, none,” he says.
12.07pm: Jamil agrees that the alleged Arab donation to Najib was hushed up and kept from the public.
Jamil disagrees with Sithambaram’s assertion that if King Abdullah had indeed promised to give this donation to Najib in Jan 2010, then it amounted to interference by Saudi Arabia in Malaysia’s democratic election.
Sithambaram: But this (alleged donation to Najib) was hushed up and kept from the public?
Jamil: Agree.
12.10pm: Jamil is released from the witness stand.
12.15pm: Proceedings adjourned to Thursday as counsel Shafee told the court that the sixth defence witness, Anifah Aman, would not be ready to testify tomorrow.
Earlier reports:
Feb 10, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 77
Feb 10, Former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Najib, Not King Abdullah Told Me About Donation
Feb 5, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 76
Feb 4, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 75
Feb 3, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 74
Jan 23, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 73
Jan 23, Stumbling for Answers at SRC Trial, Najib Is Schooled on Court Proceedings
Jan 22, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 72
Jan 22, Court Allows Najib to Call Expert to Verify Signatures
Jan 21, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 71
Jan 20, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 70
Jan 9, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 69
Jan 8, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 68
Jan 7, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 67
Jan 6, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 66
Jan 6, Prosecution’s Application to Impeach Najib Dismissed, Judge Ruled No Contradictions Given
Dec 20, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 65
Dec 18, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 64
Dec 18, Najib’s Defence Like Infamous VK Lingam’s Looks Like Me, Sounds Like Me, but Not Me
Dec 12, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 63
Dec 10, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 62
Dec 10, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 61
Dec 9, RM500K Birthday Watch for Rosmah, RM3.3M Jewellery Gift for Ex-Qatar PM’s Wife
Dec 5, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 60
Dec 3, Najb’s SRC Trial: Day 59
Dec 3, Najib’s Day in Court
Aug 27, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 58
Aug 23, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 57
Aug 22, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 56
Aug 20, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 55
Aug 19, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 54
Aug 14, SRC Trial Postponed as Najib Down with Sore Eyes
Aug 13, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 52
Aug 9, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 51
Aug 7, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 50
Aug 6, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 49
Aug 5, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 48
Aug 1, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 47
July 31, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 46
July 29, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 45
July 25, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 44
July 24, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 43 Vacated
July 23, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 42
July 22, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 41
July 18, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 40
July 17, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 39
July 16, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 38
July 15, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 37
July 11, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 36
July 10, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 35
July 9, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 34
July 8, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 33
July 3, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 32
July 3, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 31
July 1, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 30
June 20, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 29
June 19, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 28
June 18, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 27
June 17, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 26
June 14, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 25
June 13, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 24
June 12, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 23
June 11, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 22
June 10, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 21
May 28, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 20
May 27, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 19
May 15, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 18
May 14, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 17
May 9, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 16
May 8, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 15
May 7, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 14
May 7, Najib Fails in Second Bid to Remove Sri Ram as 1MDB Lead Prosecutor
May 7, Najib Signed Guarantee Letter for RM2B KWAP Loan to SRC, KWAP Rules Breached
May 6, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 13
May 2, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 12
May 2, RM1M Golden Handshake in Final Month as PM for Najib
Apr 30, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 11
Apr 29, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day 10
Apr 29, Court Throws Out Najib’s Application to Strike Out 7 SRC Charges, Trial to Go On
Apr 25, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Nine
Apr 24, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Eight
Apr 24, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Seven
Apr 22, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Six
Apr 18, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Five
Apr 17, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Four
Apr 16, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Three
Apr 15, Najib’s SRC Trial: Day Two
Apr 3, Najib Trial: Day One