Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak defended his receiving of over RM2 billion from Saudi Arabia, downplaying discrepancies in his testimony where he used terms like 'support', 'financial support', 'gift', and 'political donation'. He argued all these terms meant the same thing, essentially referring to a 'present' from the Saudi King. Najib also claimed the donations didn't violate the government's Code of Ethics because they were straightforward and not expected to be reciprocated.
Was money in accounts ‘gift’, ‘political donation’ or ‘financial support’ from Saudi? Najib says it’s all the same
Najib replied: “Yang Arif, it is semantics, I could use other terms like ‘present’, ‘gift’, or something, but it all means the same.”Previously, the prosecution had challenged Najib over the different phrases used in his testimony, suggesting that the late Saudi ruler King Abdullah had never specifically said he would give “financial” support to Najib.
Asked by his lawyer Wan Azman Aiman Wan Fakhruddin about the four alleged donation letters being “almost identical” or almost the same in content, Najib merely replied: “I would say the four letters are consistent. I would be surprised if the four letters are not consistent, because coming from the same person.”
“Now supposing I wanted to spend it in terms of cash and not be transparent, I could have done that. I could have asked the bank to give me the cash and nobody would know how I spent it you see, there would be no records.
NAJIB RAZAK MALAYSIA SAUDI ARABIA 1MDB DONATIONS TRIAL
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1MDB trial: Najib says Saudi King, not Jho Low, promised ‘financial assistance’PUTRAJAYA, Jan 9 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today insisted that the late Saudi Ruler King Abdullah did actually promise to give him financial aid and political donation, and denied...
Read more »
UMNO Youth Leader Defends Support for Najib at Pro-Najib RallyDatuk Dr. Muhamad Akmal Saleh, Ketua Pemuda UMNO, asserts his decision to attend the Solidarity Gathering for Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, stating it's to show support for the former Prime Minister. He clarifies that this is not a political rally but a personal act of moral support and that he has informed UMNO's Political Bureau about his attendance. While UMNO has since revoked its involvement in the rally, Akmal maintains his decision, emphasizing Najib's contributions to the party and nation.
Read more »
Saudi Arabia Warned Germany About Suspect in Christmas Market AttackSaudi Arabia had previously requested the extradition of the Saudi suspect in Germany’s deadly Christmas market attack, a government source told AFP. Riyadh had warned Germany 'many times' about Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, citing concerns he could be dangerous. The 50-year-old psychiatrist, who had made online death threats and previous legal troubles, killed five people in the attack on Friday evening.
Read more »
Saudi Arabia Requested Extradition of Suspect in Deadly Christmas Market AttackSaudi Arabia had previously requested the extradition of the Saudi suspect involved in the deadly Christmas market attack in Germany, according to a source close to the Saudi government. The source stated that Riyadh had warned Germany about the suspect's potential danger. The attack killed five people on Friday evening.
Read more »
Malaysian Comedian Detained in Saudi Arabia for Alleged Cannabis PossessionA popular Malaysian comedian is facing detention in Saudi Arabia for allegedly possessing cannabis while on a pilgrimage to Makkah. The comedian was reportedly apprehended at Jeddah International Airport and has been in custody for two months.
Read more »
Wisma Putra confirms detention of Malaysian in Saudi ArabiaWisma Putra has confirmed the detention of a Malaysian in Saudi Arabia, saying it has extended consular assistance to the individual.
Read more »