Money deposited into Najib’s account was for BN political funding.
- Only Jho Low could meet Najib
- Low claimed to have proof that he acted on Najib’s behest
- Low kept Prime Minister’s Office’s (PMO) letterhead for his use if necessary
- Low seen as Najib’s proxy
Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) general counsel Jasmine Loo told the High Court that she would wait outside Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house in Jalan Langgak Duta while fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, went in to have Najib sign 1MDB-related documents.
Loo, who is the prosecution’s 50th witness, said this when questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Deepa Nair Thevaharan at Najib’s RM2.28bil 1MDB trial on Wednesday (Feb 14).
“There were times when Jho Low would come out of Najib’s house and take documents from me.
“I didn’t enter Najib’s residence, I just waited at the gate,” she said.
In her 63-page witness statement, Loo said that in 2012 and 2013, she prepared documents – special rights redeemable preference shareholder resolution (SRRP) and minutes by a representative of holding company (MR) – by printing them and placing them in a folder.
“I gave them to Jho Low by hand delivery anywhere that Jho Low directed, including at Najib’s door at his residence in Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur.
“If not, I would give the plastic folder to any individual directed by Jho Low, and that individual would hand it over to Jho Low to obtain the signature. Only after the signature was obtained, Jho Low would hand over the SSRP and MR to me personally, or to any individual to be given to me.
“If it was not handed over to me, Jho Low would send me a message via his BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) to ensure that the documents were handed over to the 1MDB office for further action,” Loo said.
On Tuesday, Loo told the court that during her time at 1MDB, she would only meet with Najib at meetings or events related to 1MDB together with 1MDB’s management and that she had never met with Najib alone or directly for any company related matters.
Loo said she had not known that two sums of US$576,943,490 and US$790,354,855 — sent out by two 1MDB subsidiaries in 2012 — to the British Virgin Islands-incorporated Aabar Investment PJS Limited were sent out to Tan Kim Loong’s Blackstone Asia Real Estate’s account and that the funds were then sent out to other accounts, including Najib’s account, but did not specify the amount that ended up in Najib’s account.
“About the purpose of the money that was deposited into Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s account, after I got to know about all these transactions through the media and the DOJ report around 2015 and 2016, I did ask Jho Low why there is a need for so much money to be deposited into Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s account,” the 50-year-old former lawyer said, referring to the US Department of Justice by its initials DOJ.
“Jho Low said it is for Barisan Nasional’s political funds, especially Umno,” she said.
“After I pressed and asked further to Jho Low about these transactions, Jho Low asked me not to worry and he would handle it and I do not need to take any action because he will handle everything.
“Jho Low also said if anything happens to him, he has evidence to show what he did is according to the requests, wishes and within the knowledge of Datuk Seri Najib Razak,” she said.
Loo said Tan Kim Loong — better known as Eric Tan or “Fat Eric” — was said to be a good friend and business partner to Jho Low, adding that Low was always present whenever she had met with Tan.
Loo herself considers Tan to be a friend, after having met with him for the first time at UBG Berhad’s office in 2009 where he was introduced to her by her then colleague Tan Vern Tact.
Earlier, Loo testified that while she was in 1MDB, she had believed that orders given by Low for 1MDB matters were “in line with Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s wishes”.
“My belief is based on incidents where Jho Low asked me to prepare documents to be signed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and I found they were returned complete with Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s signature,” she said, adding that Low had also asked her to prepare the status of 1MDB projects or talking points for him to update Najib on the latest developments.
“I also frequently saw Jho Low and Datuk Seri Najib Razak together or being near each other at the same places in programmes or events related to 1MDB,” she said.
Loo testified that she had also seen Low keep blank yellow papers with the Prime Minister’s Office’s (PMO) letterhead in an envelope for Low to use if necessary.
For example, Loo said she saw a PMO letter on the appointment of 1MDB official Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman which Low prepared at Low’s residence at Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur. Loo said Low had said he would bring the letter to Najib to be signed.
Loo said the same PMO letter was signed and then sent to 1MDB’s office and that Hazem was then appointed. She did not specify the role that Hazem was appointed to in 1MDB. Hazem first joined 1MDB as chief operating officer (COO) in August 2012, and was later 1MDB CEO from March 2013 to January 2015.
Loo also gave other examples, including when then prime minister Najib was in New York, US for the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 and that Low was also in New York to wait for Najib at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the same city.
She said Low had also arranged a meeting for Najib with US investors with the cooperation of Goldman Sachs, and that she was also instructed to attend a meeting at Times Warner Centre near the Mandarin Oriental New York to monitor and report to Low about what was discussed.
Yesterday, Loo testified that Low had always used his influence as someone who is close to the then PM Najib, and that his actions had sought to portray himself as the “proxy” to Najib who was both the prime minister and 1MDB’s board of advisers’ chairman, adding that many major 1MDB decisions requiring the prime minister’s approval had to be discussed with Low first before being brought to Najib.
Loo also told the High Court on Tuesday that she once worked at UBG Berhad, a company owned by Low, with a monthly salary of about RM45,000, including vehicle allowance, fuel allowance, and travel allowance, from Jan 1, 2009, until April 2011.
Loo said she first met Low, who was a director of UBG Berhad, when attending a job interview with the company.
When describing her involvement in 1MDB, Loo said that in early 2011, 1MDB CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi contacted her to offer her the opportunity to join 1MDB as a lawyer, but she did not give any response at that time because she was not ready.
“After that, Shahrol Azral frequently contacted me, and Jho Low also informed me that if I were to join 1MDB, he (Jho Low) had no objections, but Jho Low did not force me to join the company,” she said, adding that she began working at 1MDB from May 2011 until November 2013.
Regarding Shahrol Azral, the witness said she first met him at UBG Berhad in early 2009 when the company undertook a project with Accenture Consulting.
“Shahrol Azral was a partner managing the project. After he left Accenture Consulting, he often came to the UBG Berhad office to attend meetings with Jho Low, representatives from Goldman Sachs, and the team that founded the Terengganu Investment Authority Berhad (TIA), which was later renamed 1MDB.
“I was not involved in those meetings, but I knew of their presence at the UBG Berhad office. From there, I got to know Shahrol Azral and several members of the TIA founding team,” she said.
Regarding her duties at 1MDB, the witness said her initial task was to review the joint venture documents that had been executed by 1MDB with Petrosaudi International Limited (PSI).
The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.
Earlier report:
Feb 14, 1MDB trial: MACC chief Abu Kassim replaced to protect Najib from investigation