Kuala Lumpur: The investigating officer in Najib Razak’s 1MDB case told the High Court here today the former prime minister claimed he spent RM80,000 on cancer prevention medicine and supplements in 2013.
Foo Wei Min, from Bukit Aman’s commercial crime investigation department (CCID), said he recorded statements from Najib between August and September 2018.
During the recorded sessions, Foo said, he had asked Najib why he paid RM80,000 to Vital Spire Sdn Bhd from his AmBank account ending with the digits 694.
“He (Najib) said that the money was for medicine, (cancer prevention) supplements and vitamins. He said the bill was issued by Vital Spire and thus he made the payment.
“He told us his father died of leukaemia and he took these (medicines and supplements) to prevent it,” he said.
Lawyer Shafee Abdullah then asked Foo if Najib had told the police he did not want to burden the government with the bill, and so paid for the medicine himself.
Foo said he could not recall Najib saying so.
He also said Najib told the police that RM5 million was paid to Solar Shine Sdn Bhd for organising engagement programmes with the Chinese community.
He said Najib described Solar Shine owner Lew Choon Lai as a political associate, and he had to use him because the “Chinese community does not really support the Barisan Nasional (Chinese) component party”.
Najib is standing trial for 25 counts of abuse of power and money laundering over RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited in his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Nov 14.
