Whistleblower website Sarawak Report has implicated a prominent senior lawyer, accusing him of receiving RM9.5 million from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

In a statement, the website alleged that the payment came from an account belonging to the prime minister, which received funds from state-owned SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.

It said the bank account number was the same that appeared in a document held up by attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali when he cleared Najib of wrongdoing in the SRC case in January last year.

SRC International is the recipient of a RM4 billion loan from Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP).

Sarawak Report claimed the payments to the senior lawyer, who was involved in a high-profile case, were made in two tranches.

The first tranche of RM4.3 million was allegedly transferred on Sept 11, 2013 followed by another RM5.2 million on Feb 17, 2014.

Malaysiakini is unable to independently verify these claims. The news portal has also contacted the senior lawyer for comment and is withholding his name pending a response.

Malaysiakini has also contacted the prime minister's press secretary Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad on the matter.

Mohamed Apandi in January last year cleared Najib of wrongdoing with regard to the SRC funds on the grounds that the prime minister was not aware of receiving the money.

The attorney-general explained that the prime minister had thought that the money was part of a separate multi-billion ringgit deposits.

Apandi also confirmed Najib's stand that the multi-billion deposits was a "donation" from a member of the Saudi royalty.

Documents revealed by the attorney-general showed at least RM32 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd ending up in the prime minister's personal bank accounts.

However, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli claimed that it was actually RM72 million.

The Pandan lawmaker had based this claim on documents revealed in a blog, which he is confident contained leaked investigation documents.

Najib has repeatedly denied abusing public funds for personal gain while Sarawak Report and its London-based editor Claire Rewcastle-Brown have been accused of being part of a campaign to oust the prime minister using false allegations.

Detractors also linked Sarawak Report to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is Najib's chief critic.

Rewcastle-Brown has denied these accusations.