KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A witness in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s trial today told the High Court here that in 2012 she approved a payment voucher for an additional RM2 billion from Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Amirah Muhamad Nor, 61, a former vice president at KWAP’s Investment Support Services Department said she was authorised to do so by KWAP’s chief executive officer (CEO).
Reading out her witness statement on the 16th day of the trial, she said the loan was intended for general investment and working capital.
Amira who has since retired, said KWAP approved a financing facility of RM2 billion to SRC in 2011, and with the additional RM2 billion in 2012, the total sum obtained by the company was RM4 billion.
The 34th prosecution witness said for the first loan, KWAP received a ‘Form of Utilization Notice’ dated Aug 26, 2011. However, she was not the person who approved the payment voucher as she was on leave.
The payment voucher was signed by M. Ambalagam, then the director at KWAP’s Accounts and Management Services Department (AMSD), she said.
She said she was informed by Amirul Imran Ahmat from the Fixed Income Department at KWAP on March 28, 2012 that KWAP had channelled the additional RM2 billion into SRC’s account.
On the payout process, Amirah said details are keyed into the system by an Investment Settlement Department (ISD) staff and then checked and verified by the assistant vice president before issuance of the payment voucher.
The voucher is attached with supporting documents such as copy of the agreement, authorisation of payment memo and approval by KWAP’s board of directors.
It is then checked by the assistant vice president before being approved by the vice president. Upon approval, the voucher is sent to the Real-time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities System (RENTAS) room.
Meanwhile, KWAP’s Contribution Department director M. Ambalagam, 62, as the 33rd prosecution witness, said he was involved in approving an ISD payment voucher of RM2 billion for KWAP to SRC in 2011.
“I helped to approve the payment voucher as Amirah Muhamad Nor who was the ISD vice president then was on leave. As then AMSD director, I was given limited authority by our CEO to approve payment vouchers and alternatively, I was given authority to help approve payment vouchers for ISD,” he said.
The witness said based on the voucher, the recipient was SRC International Sdn Bhd with the account number 2112022009736.
He said his role and authority at the ISD level was merely to make and receive payments and that he had no authority to question the justification of a payment that is made or accepted.
Earlier, Noor Lina Mahmud, 54, who is the Treasury Settlement Unit head at Maybank Berhad testified as the 32nd prosecution witness.
Najib, 66, faces three counts of CBT, one charge of power abuse and three charges of money laundering related to SRC International Sdn Bhd involving RM42 million. The trial before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali resumes on Tuesday.
–NNN-BERNAMA