Najib Abdul Razak quoted a Quranic verse to former 1MDB director Ismee Ismail, whom the former premier claimed testified falsehood, for him to tell the truth.
This afternoon, Najib testified that he never expected such distortion of truth from Ismee, whom the former finance minister had always regarded as a man of integrity and committed to upholding Islamic principles.
“To now hear such a misrepresentation of the facts from him is both disheartening and profoundly disappointing, and it is not what I would expect from someone I held in such high regard.
“However, it is not for me to speculate why he has chosen to do so, but as Muslims, we are reminded in the Quran to ‘speak the truth even if it is against yourselves’ (Surah An-Nisa 4:135).
“The responsibility to uphold truth and fairness is paramount. That said, in fairness to Ismee, he is not the only prosecution witness who has chosen to misrepresent and distort the truth to unfairly implicate me,” Najib testified during today’s RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial.
Ismee was one of the key prosecution witnesses.
Najib also accused the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of being used as a political weapon to suppress and eliminate rivals.
He criticised the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), alleging that it is pursuing a political agenda rather than upholding truth and justice.
He made the remarks after his lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said that the anti-graft body had declined to indict former 1MDB chief executive Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi for his role in the company’s massive financial debacle.
“It is convenient for the MACC and the prosecution to accept his (Shahrol) explanation wholesale while failing to obtain any explanation from me. Their refusal to consider an explanation from me clearly reflects their predetermined agenda to distort facts and implicate me, which is precisely what they have done in this case. This approach not only undermines justice but also highlights the politically motivated nature of this prosecution. MACC and the prosecution’s willingness to ignore Shahrol’s complicity and absolve him of accountability while relying on fabricated linkage to me is nothing short of appalling,” he said before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Najib said he believed the MACC was established to combat corruption, but it has become clear that it is now being used as a political tool to silence and eliminate rivals.
“Similarly, I once thought the prosecution’s role was to seek justice, yet their actions herein reveal a troubling reality: their true mission appears to be advancing a political agenda rather than upholding the truth and justice,” he added.
While testifying, Najib revealed that the MACC failed to provide him with several important documents deemed as evidence in the case during the recording of his statement by the anti-graft body.