KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — A cheque for RM1 million was issued from Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s AmIslamic bank account to a political party in Sabah for its corporate social responsibility project called Projek Sayang, the High Court was told today.

United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) former treasurer-general Datuk Marcus Mojigoh testified and confirmed that the party had received the cheque dated Feb 13, 2015.

Mojigoh, who also is the 15th prosecution witness, said that Najib had personally issued the cheque in front of him at Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya at that time.

"The funds were provided for party-related purposes, following a series of Barisan Nasional (BN) meetings that year.

"The programmes (under the party) have already been listed down. We did not have the funds to be distributed to our divisions, so I told the chairman that we do not have money basically,” he said on the seventh day of Najib’s RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd trial.

Upko was previously a BN component party, which left the coalition following last year’s general election defeat.

When asked to identify the aforementioned chairman in court, Mojigoh expressed delight in seeing Najib and saluted him, while exclaiming "Bossku!” loudly, sparking a light moment in court.

Later when cross-examined by Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Mojigoh explained that under Projek Sayang, Upko’s Women’s Wing was instructed to conduct entrepreneurship courses for single mothers, free spectacles programmes, as well as welfare visits for the sick, weak and elderly.

Mojigoh also said he understood that allocations for social welfare purposes under political party activities should come not from the government but from BN’s own funds.

Upko is among 15 recipients of cheques totalling over RM10.77 million issued under two AmIslamic Bank accounts that were registered under Najib’s name, based on court documents produced in court previously.