Former 1MDB counsel Jasmine Loo takes witness stand

1MDB's former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, who was at large until last year, took the witness stand to testify against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The 50th prosecution witness began reading her written witness statement during this afternoon's RM2.27 billion 1MDB trial against former finance minister Najib.

Back in July last year, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced her arrest, after years of being searched for by the local authorities.

According to the minister, Loo's (above) lawyer had told authorities that she was ready to cooperate with the police and government in their investigations into 1MDB.

"Jasmine Loo, an individual whom we believe has information about 1MDB, has been arrested by police on Friday (July 8).

"She was arrested in Kuala Lumpur and taken to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters. Police acquired a remand order against her on Saturday.

"Investigation is being conducted under Section 409 of the Penal Code, and the police definitely have to investigate several areas," he was reported as saying in regards to the 50-year-old former general counsel of the troubled Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

Saifuddin, however, declined to elaborate further about the circumstances surrounding Loo's arrest apart from stressing that she has been detained.

The minister also said that he was not privy to the progress of the investigation, including whether Loo has disclosed any information about Low Taek Jho (Jho Low).

Since then, it is understood that Loo was released from remand and was put under witness protection by the authorities.

Loo was 1MDB's former executive director of group strategy - and was alleged to be in Low's inner circle.

She was also alleged to have been a recipient of the misappropriated 1MDB funds.

According to the US Department of Justice, Loo received US$5 million (RM23.2 million) from the Aabar-BVI phase of the 1MDB scandal, and US$10 million (RM46.5 million) during the Tanore phase.

Loo, a law graduate, was one of the suspects wanted by authorities to facilitate a probe into the troubled state investment arm.

Loo is the second associate of Low to be arrested by the local authorities.

The MACC, in May last year, arrested Kee Kok Thiam, an alleged associate of Low, after he was deported by the Macau authorities for overstaying his visa.

He arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 3am on May 3, where he was ordered to go to the MACC’s headquarters at 10am on the same day.

Al Jazeera reported that Kee told the MACC he had met Low and other 1MDB fugitives - including Eric Tan Kim Loong, Casey Tang Keng Chee, Geh Choh Heng and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil - in Macau.

He also reportedly said Low had instructed him "not to return to Malaysia as a witness in the 1MDB case".

Kee later died on May 29 last year when receiving treatment for an illness at a hospital, which sparked speculations on the circumstances leading to his death.

However, his family later issued a statement saying that the 56-year-old businessperson died in hospital after suffering a "sudden massive stroke" and urged the public not to speculate.

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