KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former Ambank relationship manager, said she did not expect someone would use the former prime minister's account for money laundering.
Joanna Yu Gin Ping, 51, also believed that Najib was well aware about the transactions in his bank account that had been classified by the bank to protect the client identity as a politically exposed person.
Yu said this under cross-examination by Najib's lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, in Najib's corruption trial for allegedly misappropriating billions from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
The senior lawyer at the outset of the trial asked Yu on reasons by rogue financier Low Taek Jho or Jho Low to use different code names to describe things such as "American pie" for USD and "satay" for Ringgit in their dealing with Najib's account.
Shafee contended that Ambank should have been alerted to Low's behaviour as someone would use code names when they engaged in money laundering.
Shafee: You believed in Low completely?
Yu: I believed that.
Shafee: It never crossed your mind that the transaction was related to money laundering?
Yu: It did not strike me that someone would use the (then) prime minister's account to do money laundering.
However, Yu said she believed Najib was well aware about the state of his account as he had issued cheques and used his credit cards.
Earlier, the former banker admitted that she did not consult Najib in handling his account and dealt with Low instead.
Yu said she had no doubt that the fugitive businessman was in contact with the account holder as he was the one who came and opened Najib's account at the bank.
Najib, 70, 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.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
from New Straits Times https://ift.tt/iquGXfv
0 Comments