I confronted Jho Low over ostentatious lifestyle, Najib tells court

Summary

• Najib Abdul Razak testifies that he confronted Jho Low in 2015 over the businessperson's ostentatious lifestyle.

• The ex-premier says Low claimed luxurious purchases were on behalf of Sheikh Mansour Zayed Al Nahyan.

1MDB TRIAL | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has testified that he confronted Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) in 2015 over the businessperson’s ostentatious lifestyle.

The former finance minister told the High Court, which convened in Putrajaya today, that the fugitive claimed his luxurious purchases were on behalf of Sheikh Mansour Zayed Al Nahyan, the brother of the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Najib revealed this when he was cross-examined by deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam during the RM2.27 billion 1MDB abuse of power and money laundering trial against him.

The DPP had asked him whether the accused was aware of Low's high-profile lifestyle, referring to media reports and photographs of Low partying with socialite Paris Hilton, among others, and articles about the businessperson’s luxurious overseas purchases of property and paintings.

Mustaffa: You then were aware of Low’s reputation?

Najib: Yes, I confronted him about this, and he said, ‘I bought this as I was doing it for Sheikh Mansour,’ he (Low) repeated it two or three times. I was not comfortable with stories about his lifestyle, his rather ostentatious lifestyle. That was his explanation to me, and he repeated to me several times (that the purchases were for) Sheikh Mansour.

Mustaffa: Didn’t the news raise alarm with you on his (Low) dealings?

Najib: Hence why I confronted him, but he said he did it for Sheikh Mansour.

The former premier said he felt uneasy and disapproved of Low’s lifestyle but still relied on the businessperson due to his alleged high-level connections with Middle Eastern officials.

When the DPP asked whether Najib in 2015 confronted Low over any alleged involvement with 1MDB, the accused said he confronted the businessperson who replied it was linked to Sheikh Mansour.

Mustaffa: As (then) prime minister and finance minister, you were at the apex of authority in Malaysia to investigate the truthfulness of that (allegation against Low).

Najib: That was in connection to a foreign government (UAE), and Sheikh Mansour (was linked to the Middle Eastern nation's) crown prince.

Mustaffa: You could have gotten the truth then, but you chose not to.

Najib: I disagree.

Mustaffa: You were shutting your eyes and did not want to know the obvious.

Najib: No, no, no, hence I confronted him (Low). I disagree.

Yesterday, Najib testified that he used Low for the economic and financial benefit of the country, hence why the businessperson accompanied the accused's then special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin to China to check whether China was interested in making infrastructure projects in Malaysia.

However, in the course of this trial, Najib testified Low duped him and spearheaded the looting of 1MDB. Authorities are still trying to track down the fugitive.

Family connections

During today's grilling by Mustaffa, Najib explained that he got to know of Low when the accused was deputy prime minister in 2007.

Najib said that Low's brother was enrolled in London School of Economics (LSE) and got to know Najib’s stepson Riza Aziz, who was also a student there.

The accused said he was introduced to Low through this connection with Riza, and that was how his family including his wife Rosmah Mansor later got to know about the businessperson.

Using Low’s handphone

Mustaffa then raised the issue of Low attending a 1MDB board meeting on Sept 29 2009, to which Najib said he did not invite the businessperson to the official event.

The DPP grilled Najib on why he contacted Low, who then handed the handphone to then 1MDB chairperson Mohd Bakke Salleh.

In previous 1MDB trial proceedings, Bakke testified that Low handed him the phone, over which Najib allegedly told the prosecution witness to firm up a decision on whether the fund should be involved in a joint venture with Petrosaudi International Limited (PSI).

It was previously reported that in 2009, US$700 million of 1MDB's funds meant for the joint venture ended up funnelled to offshore entity Good Star Limited, which was allegedly linked to Low.

Mustaffa: Low was at the meeting, spoke to you (on his handphone) and then (Low) handed the phone to chairperson Bakke, and you spoke to Bakke through Low's phone.

Najib: Yes.

Mustaffa: Why not choose to (call and) speak to Bakke through his own handphone instead?

Najib: It was a matter of convenience, I did not see anything wrong.

Mustaffa: You must have been comfortable with Low (back) then.

Najib: At that time, I did not think he (Low) was up to mischief.

‘Why blame me?’

Mustaffa pointed out that Bakke testified that Najib did not reply to his SMS about concerns of wrongdoing with the joint venture. To this, the accused claimed not to have received the message.

When the DPP said that Bakke testified that he resigned in October 2009 due to concerns of alleged wrongdoing at 1MDB, Najib replied that the then 1MDB chairperson should have met him to explain the reasons before resigning.

Mustaffa: Bakke resigned from 1MDB. As finance minister, it did not occur to you to call him and ask why?

Najib: He did not see me (before tendering his resignation). I did not call him, I thought he wanted to resign, fine. But it was incumbent on Bakke to see me. Why put the blame on me? It is not fair. If an officer resigns, then he resigns.

Mustaffa: It was incumbent on you as then prime minister to ask Bakke why he was resigning.

Najib: He knew me personally, he could have seen me, he did not see me. Why am I to be blamed for someone resigning?

Mustaffa: You did not want to see him (as you did) not want to probe the 1MDB issue.

Najib: No. I expected the 1MDB board to run 1MDB professionally, these were not my cronies but competent professionals.

The ex-premier also rubbished Mustaffa’s contention that the accused knew what was brewing at 1MDB when Bakke resigned.

Six years and still going

On Oct 30 last year, Najib was ordered to defend himself against four abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.27 billion from 1MDB.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah ruled that the prosecution succeeded in establishing a prima facie (answerable) case against Najib over the Minister of Finance Incorporated’s (MOF Inc) wholly owned company.

The judge ruled that Najib had to answer the charges due to the strength of 50 witness testimonies in the prosecution stage of proceedings that lasted six years since the trial began in 2019. The accused was first charged in 2018.

Since the prima facie ruling, Najib has been testifying in his defence against the 1MDB criminal charges.

The accused maintained that he had no knowledge of wrongdoing at 1MDB and that Low and management members masterminded the embezzlement at the fund.

He is also relying on the defence that he was led to believe he would receive a donation from Arab royalty over his contribution to the Islamic world.

Lawyer Tania Scivetti acted for Najib.

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