The Kuala Lumpur High Court was told that more than £8.7 million was converted into RM45.8 million in a private client’s bank account between Oct 21 and Dec 19 in 2014.
Prosecution witness Salmah Daman Huri, 50, testified that the amount was banked into an AmBank account bearing a number ending in 1880 in five transactions.
The foreign exchanges were transfers from Vista Equity International Partners into the account ending in 1880 under the name AmPrivate Banking 1MY.
Salmah, who is Ambank’s treasury operation department vice-president, was testifying in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) here on Monday (June 13).
The witness said she did not know who owned the account as details of the client were kept confidential at that time.
During cross-examination by Najib’s lawyer Wan Aizudin Wan Mohamed, Salmah said she only found out it was Najib’s account when she gave her statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as the investigations into 1MDB began.
Wan Aizuddin: The AmPrivate 1MY (account ending in 1880), do you know the identity of the account holder?
Salmah: During the transactions, I did not know.
Wan Aizuddin: You only knew after the investigation?
Salmah: Yes, through the investigation officer.
To a question by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, Salmah said her department never received any report or complaint from Najib regarding the high volume of foreign exchange transactions.
Najib is on trial for 25 charges in total: four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of RM2.28bil; and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Wednesday (June 14). – The Star