KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — On trial for misappropriating public funds, Datuk Seri Najib Razak conceded that he should have returned the RM42million deposited into his personal AmBank account to SRC International Sdn Bhd when the issue first surfaced in 2015.

However, under cross-examination by ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram, the former prime minister told the High Court today that he decided against returning the money as the case was under investigation then.

Najib claimed that at the time, he had no knowledge of the money source when the deposits were made in 2014 and 2015.

The Pekan MP said he only found out the possibility of the money being siphoned from SRC International from media reports, and cited London-based whistleblower website Sarawak Report.

SRC is a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Sithambaram: Around the middle of 2015, as a result of the Sarawak Report article, you agree that you were aware that SRC’s money had been paid into your account?

Najib: At that time when the thing became an issue, I became aware that it could have been SRC’s money via Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd, but I had no knowledge and I didn’t authorise it.

Sithambaram: Since you became aware when it became an issue as a result of the Sarawak Report article, you did not return the money to SRC?

Deputy Public Prosecutor, Datuk V. Sithambaram, arrives at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex January 7, 2020. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Najib: Yes, I did not return because it was the subject of investigations.

Sithambaram: The logical thing to do was to return the money; if you know money wrongly came in you would return, you agree?

Najib: Yes, I should have, but at that time it was still the subject of investigations.

When pressed further as to why he did not return the money anyway, despite the corruption allegations, Najib said he was looking to see the outcome of the investigations by authorities before making a decision.

Similar to the earlier stages of his testimony, Najib maintained that despite claims of inconsistencies within documents tendered as evidence against him, no police report was made by him as the case was already being investigated by authorities.

Najib had claimed that he did not want to put pressure on the authorities to vindicate him of any wrongdoing by making the report, not wanting to give the impression that he was interfering with investigations.

Najib is testifying as the first defence witness after the former prime minister was called to enter his defence to answer seven charges related to SRC International by High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Three are for criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, three more are for laundering the RM42 million, and the last is for abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same sum.