Payments via third party for image among Chinese community, social media
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Kota Melaka MP Wong Nai Chee who was also ex- premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s former political secretary testified that payments to two agencies that were involved in maintaining Najib’s image in the Chinese community and social media were paid through a third party.
The cheques were instead issued to activist Lim Soon Peng, and he relayed them to Akademi Kewartawanan and Informasi, and AD Network.
The first recipient is involved in the publication of a Chinese weekly, while AD Network is the administrator of the Ah Jib Gor Facebook page.
“If a personal cheque issued by the PM (Najib), we do not want it to circulate on Facebook.
“We would rather pay someone whom we trusted, so he (Lim) can pay (to the two entities),” Wong says.
Among the cheques issued was a payment for RM246,000 by Najib on Aug 7, 2013.
The next to testify today is Batu Kawan Umno division chief,
Najib is facing 25 charges of receiving RM2.28b, which originated from 1MDB through Tanore Finance Corp, a company owned by Eric Tan, a close associate of fugitive businessman, Low Taek Jho better known as Jho Low.
Of this number, 21 are money laundering and four are power abuse charges.
Insufficient RM100,000 for Batu Kawan Umno
Batu Kawan Umno division chief Mohd Noor Ahmad meanwhile testified that he received a cheque worth RM100,000 from then premier, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as contribution for the division, on 6 Aug 2013.
I informed the party president, who was also then prime minister, at the Prime Minister’s office,” he said.
“It was on 6 Aug 2013,” Noor says in relation to a cheque made out by Najib to the party division as a contribution.
The cheque, dated 7 Aug 2013, and the cheques used to pay Najib’s Chinese social media team and a publication house are part of the subject in Najib’s 1MDB case.
When cross examined by Shafee, he testified that funding was normally not given directly by the party president.
He further told the court that the final recipient of the funds was unaware of the origins of the money.
“Just from Umno Batu Kawan,” says Mohd Noor.
The RM100,000 cheque was also not sufficient, Mohd Noor adds. “The work done depends on the amount of the fund provided.”
When asked, he said that the party’s accounts were frozen since then but did not receive a civil forfeiture notice.
