KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive businessman Jho Low constantly instructed that documents on the joint venture between 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI), be destroyed to avoid their misuse against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of state-owned sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, told this to the High Court here today, as the ninth prosecution witness in the trial of Najib, 66, who faces four charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification amounting to RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 money laundering charges involving the same amount.
“For each document comprising ‘talking points or action plans’ as well as email which I received from Jho Low, he would always request me to ensure that the documents were destroyed, on account of them containing highly private and sensitive information, and which could be used to threaten Datuk Seri Najib’s position politically, if it fell into the wrong hands”, Shahrol Azral, 49, said.
However, he added that despite these instructions from Jho Low (formally known as Low Taek Jho), there were some documents that he did not get rid off, possibly because he had overlooked the matter.
Najib is alleged to have committed the first four offences at the Jalan Raja Chulan branch of AmIslamic Bank Berhad between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014, while the money laundering was committed between March 22 and Aug 30, 2013 at the same location.
On the talking points entitled ‘’Background – Joint Venture Between PetroSaudi (PSI) and 1MD’’, the former CEO said that to his recollection, this document had been given to him for use when providing information on 1MDB matters to the public.
“This document is one example of talking points used by Jho Low to ensure that every action that I took was in accordance with his wishes. Each time these types of documents were given to me, Jho Low would state that their contents had been discussed with and approved by Datuk Seri Najib,“ he told the court, adding that he felt that Jho Low had not lied about this because Najib had never said that he disagreed with the contents and would merely instruct Shahrol Azral to take action in accordance with what was set out in the documents.
Testifying during examination-in-chief by senior deputy public prosecutor and former federal court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram on the 14th day of trial, the witness said the talking points would be complemented with supporting documentation such as a letter from the Saudi Arabian ambassador in support of PSI, and a letter from the Malaysian ambassador to Saudi Arabia “in support of Prince Turki and Tarek Obaid (CEO PSI), stating PSI’s good standing”.
The court also heard from Shahrol Azral that the proposed repayment and termination of the ‘Murabaha’ facility agreement dated June 20, 2012, which was undertaken by 1MDB lawyer Jasmine Loo, was intended to facilitate the phased return of 1MDB funds loaned to PSI.
He said that based on action plans sent via email from Jho Low to Loo, which Shahrol Azral had been copied on, Najib had been briefed on and approved, all action concerning the transformation of the ‘Murabaha’ Note into PetroSaudi Oil Services (PSOSL) equities, and thereafter into fund units.
Najib was represented by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. Hearing before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, continues on Monday. — Bernama
