FORMER Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Najib Razak (picture) today testified that the Democrats United States government under Barack Obama’s presidency at that time collaborated with the then-Malaysian opposition to effect regime change when he was PM.
He claimed that the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) forfeiture action in 2016 to recover more than US$1 billion (RM4.4 billion) of 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) assets was a conspiracy between two political parties in the US and Malaysia to change the government.
“I also believe this (US) forfeiture action was politically motivated and orchestrated as part of a collaboration between the US Democratic Party and the then-opposition party in Malaysia to affect a regime change in Malaysia.
“I further believe that this collaboration was the key motive in obstructing my access to the exculpatory evidence as it would undermine their narrative and expose the untruths in their allegations against me,” Najib told the Kuala Lumpur High Court during his RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial today.
Najib then highlighted the US DOJ’s 2021 move to block his bid to get access to additional evidence from Goldman Sachs and its former banker Tim Leissner in US courts, which he claimed would exonerate him and help in his defence in the 1MDB trial in Malaysia’s courts.
Last Friday, Najib testified that a “politically-motivated” US DOJ blocked his attempt to get 1MDB-linked evidence.
Najib was the PM and head of the Barisan Nasional coalition at that time while Pakatan Harapan was the opposition coalition. It was then headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the current PM.
Then, the US AG Loretta Lynch announced the US filing of civil forfeiture complaints on July 20, 2016 — involving over US$3.5 billion allegedly stolen from 1MDB — to recover over US$1 billion assets associated with an international conspiracy launder 1MDB funds.
Najib was currently facing charges over four cases of abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.27 billion of funds from 1MDB.
