THE STAR – The High Court was told that over GBP8.7 million was converted into MYR45.8 million in a private client’s bank account between October 21 and December 19 in 2014.
Prosecution witness Salmah Daman Huri, 50, testified that the amount was banked into an AmBank account bearing a number ending in 1880 in five transactions.
The foreign exchanges were transfers from Vista Equity International Partners into the account ending in 1880 under the name AmPrivate Banking 1MY.
Salmah, who is Ambank’s treasury operation department vice-president, was testifying in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (BERNAMA, pic below) yesterday.
The witness said she did not know who owned the account as details of the client were kept confidential at that time.
During cross-examination by Najib’s lawyer Wan Aizudin Wan Mohamed, Salmah said she only found out it was Najib’s account when she gave her statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as the investigations into 1MDB began.
To a question by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, Salmah said her department never received any report or complaint from Najib regarding the high volume of foreign exchange transactions.
Najib is on trial for 25 charges in total: four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of MYR2.28 billion; and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah tomorrow.
