Practically every Malaysian knows about the RM2.6 billion that magically appeared in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s account and he has even admitted it himself. He had said before that it was a “donation” from a particularly generous Saudi prince.
Source: Bloomberg
Even when everyone was skeptical about this donation, Najib has maintained his innocence throughout his questioning and insisted that the money was only used for GE13 and that the rest was given back to the mysterious Saudi donor. Did he prove the donation was legit, though?
In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini as quoted by Malay Mail, he said, “Does it smack of somebody who was trying to cheat or steal? If the intention was to steal, why would I use a local bank account in my own name? I used the money for the election (GE13) and after the election, the (balance) money was returned. As far as I was concerned, that was the responsible thing to do.”
Source: Free Press Journal
Najib also explained that he had met with the late Saudi ruler, King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud before GE13 and asked him for some help.
“I asked him to support the (Malaysian) government because I thought their government has a record of supporting governments which are somewhat friendly with them. So, what I requested was nothing unusual and he agreed to support and subsequently, we received letters and then money was credited at about the time they had promised the donation. I informed the relevant authorities. Bank Negara was informed of the fund that was coming in,” he added.
Source: Malay Mail
To support his claims, he said that former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz knew about the RM2.6 billion in his bank account before GE13 but she had never questioned him, so he assumed that it was fine, Malay Mail reported.
Najib said, “If Bank Negara is in the know of these funds and they had an inkling or some knowledge that there could be some doubts about the source of the funds, I expected them to tell me. But nothing of that sort happened. So I assumed all along that it was fine.”
Source: Berita Daily
Previously, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) had alleged that the “donation” was connected to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal that is currently being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and police.
So, do you think the money is really a donation from a generous Saudi donor? Let us know in the comments below!
Also read: Najib Said He’s Unaware of Wife’s Jewellery, Rosmah Also Shocked at Amount
