THE STAR – Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) non-executive director Tan Sri Ismee Ismail told the High Court that he stayed with the company despite its non-compliance as he believed in the leadership of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The witness said this during a re-examination by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram in the 1MDB trial involving Najib yesterday.
Ismee was referred to a 1MDB meeting minutes dated September 26, 2009, where the board of directors had given some stipulations on a joint venture (JV) between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) but this was not followed through.
The matter was raised again in an October 3, 2009, meeting and on October 19, 2009, chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh resigned.
Sri Ram: Did you personally, at this meeting, raise this matter to (former 1MDB CEO) Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi about the non-compliance?
Ismee: I think the board, collectively, raised the issue.
Sri Ram: Who was the most vociferous?
Ismee: The chairman (Mohd Bakke).
Sri Ram: Shortly after this meeting, Mohd Bakke resigned.
Ismee: Yes
Sri Ram: But you did not.
Ismee: No I did not.
Sri Ram: In the climate that prevailed between 2009 and 2016, when you were in 1MDB, were you in a position to go against or contradict the wishes of Najib as to the way 1MDB should be run?
Ismee: I suppose I could but I was not getting myself involved.
Sri Ram: If you did a Bakke, and resigned… of course you could have done that.
Ismee: (laughs) yes I could have done that.
Sri Ram: When you continued to be there, what was the attitude of the board of directors to any wishes that came from the accused as the prime minister?
Ismee: I can’t recall specifically.
The witness then said during the early days of 1MDB in 2009, as he was the Tabung Haji CEO, he had thought 1MDB’s projects with the Saudis would have been a good initiative to further enhance the country’s relationship with Saudi Arabia.
“I think that time I had quite a high level of trust in the leadership, in the prime minister himself. (There was) trust and loyalty, so I suppose that’s why I didn’t do a Bakke,” he added.
Najib, 69, is on trial for 25 charges in total – four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of RM2.28 billion; and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on April 18.
