Najib in the dark about Amhari opening bank accounts directed by Jho Low
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was in the dark over instructions given by Jho Low to his ex-aide Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin to open a foreign bank account in BSI Singapore, revealed defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Shafee: I have instruction from my client (Najib) that until you disclosed it in your witness statement, he did not know that you opened the bank account in Singapore?
Amhari: I do not know.
Shafee: You never communicated this fact to him, that Low asked you to open the account, you flatly (bulat-bulat) believed in him (Low) and did not bother to come back and tell your boss (Najib)?
Amhari: I never did that. But I have Azlin Alias (Najib’s then-private secretary and Amhari’s superior), to follow his (Azlin’s) lead and see how he manoeuvres the situation, and I followed his steps.
Shafee: What do you mean?
Amhari: I mentioned (in the witness statement) that I followed Azlin, as at that time I was a junior officer, and I was not a datuk. It is not easy to meet Najib. At that time, the one who meets Najib is Azlin. I did not have the opportunity like Azlin to meet Najib.
Najib is currently facing trial for 21 money laundering charges and four power abuse charges for receiving RM2.28 billion through Tanore Corporation Ltd.
Amhari further testified that the documents for the BSI account were all kept by Jho Low and used for a shell company called Aeroshere Ltd which was registered in 2012.
In the cross examination, Amhari told the court that the accounts were meant as preparation for the 13th general election.
Amhari: It was for preparation for GE13.
Shafee: You are just assuming that?
Amhari: I mentioned it was for political funding.
Shafee: You are merely assuming that?
Amhari: I disagree, as there was a discussion on the account as the election was looming.
Shafee: Now you are saying that during the (discussion of) opening the account while in a hotel room, Low said it was a standby account for the coming election?
Amhari: It was a discussion between Low, Azlin, and myself. It was from Low.
Shafee: Low said it was for the next election?
Amhari: Yes.
