KUALA LUMPUR: Letters from the Saudi monarch continued to be the highlight of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's corruption trial for misappropriating 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah even held a press conference to raise the issue after proceedings ended.
He later distributed a copy of the said letters bearing Abdulaziz Majid Al Saud's private office's letterhead addressed to Najib's house in Jalan Langgak Duta.
Abdulaziz Majid was the governor of Madinah at the time the letter was issued. He is the grandson of the late King Abdulaziz.
In the statement, Shafee said two witnesses were called by the prosecution from AmBank — Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi and private banking capital market head Yap Wai Keat.
"Both witnesses referred only to two transactions, namely an inward transfer of US$9,999,970 each on Feb 23 and June 13, 2011.
"These two transactions made up the amount of the purported gratification in the first charge under the offence of Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act," he said.
Earlier, Najib's counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed questioned the witnesses over the existence of the letters, which both of them responded in the negative.
Wan Aizuddin, when reading the letter, said the document was issued to recognise Najib's contribution to the Islamic world.
It stated that the prince granted Najib the monies as a gift which was to be remitted to Najib's account.
It said Najib should have absolute discretion to determine how the gift should be used to promote Islam.
The prince added that he did not expect to receive any personal benefit whether directly or indirectly as a result of the gift.
Najib 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.