KUALA LUMPUR: A police raid six years ago made it difficult for 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to hand over documents to the National Audit Department (NAD), the High Court here heard.

       Former NAD auditor Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad, the seventh prosecution witness, agreed to this suggestion by lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan in the 1MDB audit trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

       Sivananthan, who was representing Arul, was questioning Saadatul on the NAD's requests for 1MDB documents in the audit.

       Sivananthan: Are you aware that the police had seized documents from 1MDB on July 8, 2015?

       Saadatul: I heard in the news but I don't remember the exact date and what documents they seized.

       Sivananthan: In these circumstances, you would agree with me that it would have put 1MDB in a little bit of a difficult position, bearing in mind that the police had seized the documents, and they (1MDB) therefore had to request those documents back from the authorities for the audit process?

       Saadatul: Yes.

       The witness was then shown a document, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings report, dated Dec 1, 2015.

       Sivananthan referred Saadatul to Arul's statement on page nine of the document where Arul had taken a position pertaining to the problems faced by 1MDB.

       Sivananthan: Further down the page... so the position he was taking was that if he has the documents, he will submit it?

       Saadatul: Yes.

       Sivananthan: But because of the raid by the police, the police had control of the documents?

       Saadatul: Yes.

       It was reported that the police had raided 1MDB's headquarters at Menara IMC in Kuala Lumpur on July 8, 2015.

       In a statement released to the media then, it was said that minutes, bank statements, agreements and ledgers had been seized during the raid that began at 9.40am and ended at 6.45pm.

       Najib, 67, is accused of abusing his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report to avoid any action being taken against him; while Arul is accused of abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report.

       Both men were charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

       The hearing resumes before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Sept 27.