KUALA LUMPUR: Incarcerated former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had allegedly used the US$681 million linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to influence votes during the General Election in 2013.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior officer Nur Aida Arifin said Najib received funds from Tanore Finance Corporation, an investment company linked to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.
Nur Aida, who is the investigating officer of the case, said the tip off was filed by assistant senior officer Hanif Awaludin in 2013 where the complaints stated that Najib received the said monies to buy votes during the preparation for 2013 General Election.
"The complaint is filed for investigation under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009.
"We also received another complaint which indicated that Najib as the chairman of the 1MDB Advisory Board and the finance minister, received bribes amounting to RM3.217 billion, which were deposited into the same account between 2011 and 2013.
"The complaint was filed to conduct an investigation under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 on May 17, 2018," she said before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Nur Aida said she carried out her investigation based on documents obtained from various sources, including Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), 1MDB, the police, and the Finance Ministry.
On Sept 20, BNM analyst Adam Ariff Mohd Roslan testified, describing to the court how US$681 million of 1MDB funds were siphoned into Najib's personal bank account by Low 10 years ago.
He said the rogue financier, through the shell company Tanore Finance Corporation, transferred the funds it received from 1MDB subsidiary 1MDB Global Investment Ltd (1GIL) via multiple layers of transactions.
Adam Ariff said 1GIL via Devonshire Funds Ltd. had transferred US$640 million into Tanore and Granton Property Holding Ltd – both owned by Low's proxy Eric Tan Kim Loong or Fat Eric.
The 29-year-old analyst said on March 21, 2013, both entities (Tanore and Granton) received US$210,000,000 and US$430,000,000, respectively.
"On the same day, Granton then transferred all the received funds (US$430 million) to Tanore despite having no balance in its account.
"In effect, Tanore received US$640 million in total from 1GIL via Devonshire.
"Tanore later instructed Falcon Bank to transfer US$681 million to Najib's bank account as soon as possible.
"A total of US$620 million was immediately transferred into Najib's bank account at AmIslamic Bank.
"The remaining US$61 million was transferred on March 25," he said.
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 continues.