KUALA LUMPUR: The late King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia decided to transfer “political aid” to Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s account to avoid “complications”, the High Court was told today.
Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, said King Abdullah made the decision in a private meeting during an unofficial gathering with Malaysian delegates in Riyadh on Jan 11, 2010.
“The private meeting was held after an unofficial meeting, a day before Najib’s official visit to the Gulf country.
“He (Najib) signalled to me (after the meeting) to follow him and we went to the middle of the meeting room.
“The meeting is very private as it only involved King Abdullah, his translator, Najib and me,” he said when reading his witness statement before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
He said King Abdullah, who conversed in Arabic, promised to transfer aid directly to Najib’s account as the former did not know how political organisations spend their money.
“He wanted to ensure that the then federal government could retain power due to its ability to ensure unity among races and to curb Shia ideology (in Malaysia).
“King Abdullah was also worried that the direct transfer of aid into a political organisation would complicate the funds,” he said.
Jamil Khir said after the meeting, Najib informed the then Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Former Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Professor Datuk Syed Omar Al-Saggaf, about the donation.
He took the stand as the fifth defence witness in the trial in which the former Prime Minister is accused of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.
The Pekan Member of Parliament faces 20 years’ jail if convicted.