KUALA LUMPUR: It could have come straight out of a blockbuster courtroom thriller when a key prosecution witness testified today, revealing how Datuk Seri Najib Razak fixed him with a sexual harassment charge after he raised issues concerning 1MDB in Parliament.
Former Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said his son was also sacked from a company which was bidding for a multi-billion ringgit road contract after that.
He said all this happened to his family after he decided enough was enough and quit Najib’s cabinet in June, 2016.
The 67-year old recounted how his speech in Parliament in October 2015, where he touched on the problems faced by 1MDB, led to the sexual harassment accusations against him.
He said one of Najib’s aides visited him in his house the same night and told him that the then prime minister (PM) wanted to see him straightaway.
“I told him that I was tired and I won’t go.
“However, he told me that the PM really wanted to see.
“He said ‘otherwise, tomorrow they attack you’.”
Husni said he stayed home and true enough the attacks against him started the very next day.
He related how his son, who worked with the New Pantai Expressway (NPE), had attended an Economic Action Council meeting and the minutes of what was discussed were uploaded on blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin’s website almost immediately.
Husni said the blogger wrote that he was angry NPE did not get a RM2.7 billion project the company was bidding for.
After that, he said, Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia ran a story about an alleged scandal involving a former minister and so on.
“So, you see there was a sequence to it all.
“That is why I knew that Najib was behind it,” he said.
Husni said he then messaged Najib and asked: “What is all this?.”
Najib, he said, just told him to discuss it with Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (also a former minister and Umno supreme council member).
“I did not get to talk to Nazri because he was overseas.
“However, the attacks stopped after that. So, we can see who was telling them to attack.”
Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah then questioned Husni if he was angry with Najib over what had happened.
Husni: “No, I was not upset. In fact I still pray for him daily. I pray Allah will open his eyes to the truth.”
Shafee: “How can you then continue making an assumption that Najib was behind all this?”
Husni: “I am not making an assumption... it is all based on evidence. The sequence of events shows it all.”
Shafee then questions Husni on his son’s termination from NPE.
Shafee: “Did NPE get the contract?”
Husni: “I don’t know.”
Shafee: “I will tell you that the project was scrapped. It was a RM1 billion project and because of that your son lost his job.”
Husni: “Yes, he lost his job a few days after that. He was dismissed because of the Raja Petra story.”
Shafee then moved on to question Husni about an alleged message which was sent to a former minister.
In the message, Husni had allegedly informed the minister that he would expose everything if “they” continued to create stories against him.
Part of the message read: “I have not opened my mouth yet... so far only one per cent of the story is out. I can release five per cent, 10 per cent, 30 per cent, 50 per cent, 75 per cent or 100 per cent. All the information is in my hands. So, don’t play foul with me... otherwise the whole story will be out.”
However, Husni claimed he could not remember sending the message.
Husni, who is the 56th witness to be called so far, completed his testimony today.
The prosecution is set to call its final witness, an investigating officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, to take the stand tomorrow.
Najib, 66, is facing six charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust.
He is accused of transferring RM42 million of SRC International’s money into his own accounts.
He is also accused of abusing his power as prime minister and finance minister by giving government guarantees on SRC International’s RM4 billion loan from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP).
The Pekan member of parliament is accused of committing the offences at AmIslamic Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Aug 17, 2011 and Feb 10, 2015.
He faces up to 20 years’ jail, and fine, if convicted.