Saudi royalty granted Najib as a gift

KUALA LUMPUR: The defence in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s misappropriating 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds trial has produced yet another letter from Saudi royalty, stating that it wanted to give US$800 million to the former prime minister in 2013, the High Court heard.

This is the third letter Najib’s lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed showed to the court since last week.

The defence had introduced two other letters last week which stated that Saudi royalty wants to donate US$100 million and US$375 million to Najib in February and November 2011, respectively.

Najib’s defence team also produced the letters to prove their contention that millions remitted into the former prime minister’s personal bank account was a donation from Saudi royalty.

Wan Aizuddin when reading out the letter said the document was issued to recognise Najib’s contribution to the Islamic world.

It stated that the Saudi royalty granted Najib a sum of US$100 million as a gift which was to be remitted to Najib’s account.

It said Najib shall have absolute discretion to determine how the gift shall be utilised to promote Islam so that the religion continues to flourish.

Wan Aizuddin later asked prosecution witness Ambank private banking capital market head Yap Wai Keat whether he had seen the letter, to which Yap replied in the negative.

Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.

NST