by Theleaders | August 14, 2023 8:55 am
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz today said that Singapore had never acted against her family for any wrongdoing there, as she fended off the defence’s attempt to cast doubt on her credibility as a witness in court in the trial against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Zeti, who is turning 76 this year and was BNM’s second-longest serving governor at 16 years, was testifying as the 46th prosecution witness in Najib’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.26 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.
Najib’s lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah asked Zeti if she was aware that Singapore authorities had communicated its “discomfort” and findings that her husband and two sons had received money in Singapore via a company.
Zeti said she has no knowledge about this, adding that she only knew that her husband owned an asset management company which received money from investors for investments.
Shafee told the High Court that his questions were relevant to the charges faced by Najib in this trial, as his questions would affect Zeti’s credibility if those money came from Low Taek Jho or Jho Low as he is better known.
Quizzed by Shafee about her family members’ company or their related accounts, Zeti said she had never been confronted by enforcement agencies on this matter and did not know there was ever an inquiry in Singapore about this.
She said that Singapore – where the bank accounts were located – had never taken action against her family members.
“All I know is the accounts were not in the Malaysian jurisdiction and therefore I knew nothing about it, and in the jurisdiction where it is; this particular jurisdiction wants to be recognised as having the highest standards of integrity.
“Therefore I would like to say, at no time was any action ever taken on any member of my family for any wrongdoing in their jurisdiction,” she testified, referring to Singapore which she said wishes to be recognised for having the highest standards of integrity in its financial system and overall economy.
Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar objected to Shafee’s persistent questions regarding Zeti’s family members, saying such questions should not be allowed as they amount to a collateral attack.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said he would only allow Shafee’s questions to the extent that it is relevant to her credibility as a trial witness, but said the questions should not go beyond that.
According to Zeti, it was actually her husband who had voluntarily reported to Singapore’s financial authorities about funds in his company’s accounts, after “it became apparent” from open source information that “these monies were dubious and could be suspicious”.
She claimed that her husband had then “reported in writing to the financial institution regarding these and requested for them to be returned to the investor, and failing to do so, they should forward it to the authorities in that jurisdiction”.
Zeti said she believed that funds were sent back to Malaysia as a result of her husband’s instruction.
She told the court that there are documents about it, but said she had not seen or have them, adding that she only knew about the matter after her husband told her.
“This matter now is pending investigation by the police in Malaysia and therefore I’m not at liberty to comment anymore,” she also said at one point.
Addressing the court, Shafee said the alleged document should be considered hearsay until Zeti’s husband is called to testify in court.
Zeti also said this investigation has been ongoing for many years and she has not been following it.
She also said she had beentold that the investigation only involves one of her two sons as the other was still studying.
“I’m not aware of the subject matter of the investigation, it has been ongoing for many years and I have been focused on where I have accountability when I was in the central bank, that has been my focus of attention,” she testified.
Zeti also said she had never seen the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s March 3, 2022 statement regarding her husband Datuk Tawfiq Ayman’s Cutting Edge Industries Ltd’s account.
Asked by Shafee about transactions involving Cutting Edge Industries and how it might be related to 1MDB, Zeti said she does not know about these transactions.
“All I know is that no one in my family has ever taken a single cent of the 1MDB monies,” she said.
Najib, who is currently serving time in Kahang Prison after being convicted for misappropriating RM42 milion belonging to a former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd, appeared in the dock today.
He wore a light brown suit. His wife Datin Seri Rosman Mansor, dressed in red, was also seen in the courtroom
The lawyers representing BNM in holding a watching brief today in the 1MDB trial are G. Rajasingam, Nik Azila Shuhada Nik Abdullah, Justin Tong Wei Hang and Ong Tze Xian.
Lawyer Datuk Joshua Kevin Sathiaseelan held a watching brief for Zeti.
Najib’s 1MDB trial resumes this afternoon, with Shafee expected to continue cross-examining Zeti.
Source URL: https://theleaders-online.com/in-najibs-1mdb-trial-zeti-says-singapore-never-acted-against-family-for-any-wrongdoing/
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