On the sixth day of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial, his former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that Jho Low was close to Rosmah Mansor.
He said the businessman had attended private functions hosted by Najib’s wife at the couple’s private residence at Jalan Duta in Kuala Lumpur.
“She spoke fondly of him,” Amhari said, adding that he heard Low talking to Rosmah on the phone during their night meetings at the hotel.
“Whenever she called, Jho Low would tell us to keep quiet and he would say that Rosmah was on the other line. I knew it was her because her conversations were loud,” said Amhari.
He told the court that even though Low was an outsider, he was always the mainstay at exclusive parties and events held at Najib’s home.
“These parties were attended by VIPs and royalty, but Jho Low was always invited,” Amhari said.
Amhari was responding to a question from defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah why he considered Low to have had a close relationship with Rosmah.
Shafee asked if the witness listened in on their conversation to which Amhari denied but said Rosmah was fond of the financier.
“In my conversations with Rosmah, she always spoke very fondly of Jho Low,” he told the court.
Shafee: Did you attend any functions or meetings where you saw the close relationship (between Rosmah and Low)?
Amhari: Yes, some functions and meet-ups. There were several. Jho Low was there while I was in another section of the house.