Former 1MDB CEO denies treating Jho Low as PM

Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he did not “treat” fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, as the country’s prime minister.

However, the 56-year-old, testifying as the fourth plaintiff witness in 1MDB’s US$5.64 billion (RM22.8 billion) civil suit, said he had communicated with then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak through informal channels, namely via Low (above).

He said this during cross-examination by lawyer GK Ganesan, who represents former 1MDB investment director Kelvin Tan, the seventh defendant in the suit.

The issue arose when Ganesan asked whether Shahrol had communicated directly with Najib about the dispute between two countries over the Serdar oil field project, which was related to the RM1 billion joint venture deal.

Ganesan: Did you think it was important or enough for the sitting prime minister (Najib) to know that two different countries were fighting over ownership of the Serdar oil field?

Shahrol: Yes.

The witness also admitted that he did not know whether Low had informed Najib about the dispute involving the Serdar oil field project.

Ganesan: For all intents and purposes, you treated Low as if he was the prime minister of Malaysia.

Shahrol: I disagree

1MDB and its subsidiaries - 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited - filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021.

They named Najib, 1MDB’s former finance director Terrence Geh, former executive director Casey Tang, former general counsel Jasmine Loo, Vincent Beng, former chief financial officer Radhi Mohamad, Tan, and former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, as defendants.

Last week, 1MDB dropped its civil suit against Radhi, with no liberty to refile. The company had previously removed Loo from the case as well.

The writ of summons stated that the plaintiffs, among other things, accused the defendants of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds.

The trial before judicial commissioner Redzuan Idrus resumes tomorrow.

- Bernama

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