KUALA LUMPUR: Saudi royalty never denied donating hundreds of millions to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal bank account, the High Court heard today.
The former prime minister said this absence of a denial is significant, as it aligns with the established norms of monarchies in addressing unfounded claims.
"Despite the global attention and significant allegations surrounding the funds I received, including scrutiny from the United States and within Malaysia, there has been no official denial from the Royal Household of Saudi Arabia refuting that these funds were a donation from (the late) King Abdullah.
"Unfounded claims involving royal families are typically met with formal denials to protect the integrity of the monarchy.
"The fact that no such denial has been issued reinforces the credibility of my belief that the funds were indeed a donation.
"All these remittances to my AmIslamic account in Malaysia were supported by donation letters accompanying the funds, which clearly outlined their purpose and source," he said.
The 71-year-old accused said this in his witness statement while defending himself against charges of abuse of power and money laundering involving RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Najib said his belief was further reinforced by the public confirmation made by then Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubair in 2016.
He said to this day, no one officially mandated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has refuted these facts, and he relied on all these elements in good faith.
"It is important to note that it was not Adel Al-Jubair who later denied the funds were a donation to me but rather an opposition politician.
"This raises questions about the credibility and context of the alleged denial.
"To my understanding, there is no direct or official statement from Adel Al-Jubair himself retracting his earlier confirmation of the donation, which I relied upon in good faith.
"What else could I have reasonably done to verify this further?" he said, adding that he had relied on several factors that gave him a genuine and honest belief that the funds came from Saudi Arabia.
He said, firstly, he received the funds directly from two Saudi princes, Prince Faisal bin Turki and Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
"Second, I received funds from the Ministry of Finance in Riyadh, each accompanied by a donation letter clearly outlining the purpose and source of the funds.
"Additionally, I received funds from Blackstone Real Estate Partners Limited, a company I believed was connected to King Abdullah or the Saudi government, as stated in the donation.
"Similarly, the funds I received from Tanore Finance Corporation and subsequent contributions in 2014 were also supported by donation letters," he said.
Najib said he used all the funds in accordance with the purposes he believed they were given for, namely political activities and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The former Pekan member of parliament said he would certainly not have deposited the funds into his personal account if he had known that Blackstone and Tanore had no connection with the late King Abdullah.
"The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) and the prosecution's claims that the funds were received as a quid pro quo for me abusing my power are baseless and deeply offensive—not only to me but also to the Saudi royal family," he added.
Najib faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.