Does the voice in recordings truly belong to Najib Razak?

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The Voice in the Recordings Resembles Former Prime Minister Najib Razak, According to Testimony

Former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah testified that a voice in four audio recordings played in court "sounds like" former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. While not present during the conversations, Irwan stated he could identify one of the voices as resembling Najib's, though he could not confirm it with 100 percent certainty as he is not a voice expert and the recordings' authenticity, including the possibility of deepfakes, was questioned.
Voice Resemblance to Najib Razak

Irwan Serigar, testifying as the 42nd prosecution witness in the 1MDB trial, indicated that one of the voices in the audio clips bore a strong resemblance to Najib Razak. He described this recognition based on his familiarity with Najib's voice but explicitly qualified his statement by saying it "sounds like" the former prime minister, acknowledging he was not present during the recordings and therefore could not provide a definitive identification. The defence lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, questioned whether the recordings could be "deepfake," a concern Irwan stated he could not address due to his lack of expertise in voice analysis.
Content of the Audio Recordings

The audio recordings, which the High Court ruled as admissible evidence, contained several key references. These included mentions of "Your Highness," "1MDB," "IPIC," "UAE," and "Malaysia." In one clip, a voice expressed concern about a "dark cloud by the DoJ" and the necessity of resolving an impasse concerning 1MDB and IPIC to avoid embarrassment for both countries and associated personalities. Another recording featured a "personal request" related to a son's movie and a loan agreement, with discussions about the source of funds and potential actions from the Department of Justice (DoJ).
Admissibility of the Recordings

The admissibility of these audio recordings was a point of contention, with Najib's lead defence lawyer objecting on the grounds of "illegal taping." However, the prosecution argued for their admission as evidence to counter Najib's defence that he was unaware the money in his accounts originated from 1MDB, believing it to be an "Arab donation." The judge, Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, ultimately ruled that the tape recordings and their transcripts were admissible, allowing them to be played in court after considering the arguments presented.
Irwan's Testimony on 1MDB Officers' Conduct

During his testimony, Irwan also recounted an instance where he informed Najib about the "arrogance" of uncooperative 1MDB officers and suggested that action should be taken against them. He recalled a meeting at Najib's house where he conveyed this information, noting that while one officer's name, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, was mentioned in a Public Accounts Committee report regarding potential action, he, as Treasury secretary-general, could not directly take action. Irwan stated that Najib "just kept quiet" in response to this information.

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Does the voice in recordings truly belong to Najib Razak?

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