https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/201...b-trial/1784990

Najib’s ‘Arab donor’ defence a sham, prosecution tells court in 1MDB trial

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s defence that the billions of ringgit transferred into his personal bank accounts were from an Arab royal is a “sham”, the prosecution said today.

At the start of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial over the alleged theft of RM2.3 billion in funds, Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram told the High Court that the tale was fabricated by Najib and fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho and false documents made to “cover his tracks”.

“After the 1MDB scandal broke in early July 2015, the accused and his mirror image Jho Low took steps to cover his tracks.

“Sham documents were produced to pretend a donation from an Arab prince. Among these were letters and four cheques each of a sum of US$25 million purportedly written out by a person said to be an Arab donor,” the retired judge who returned to private practice told the court.

The sum is today estimated at RM1.05 billion.

“But these cheques were never meant to be encashed and were never cashed,” Gopal added.