Jho Low gave ‘letters from Saudi Arabia’ to stop 1MDB probe, court told
Ho Kit Yen
-September 3, 2019 2:33 PM
Documents linked to 1MDB being brought into the High Court today.KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak’s former special officer told the former prime minister’s 1MDB trial today that Low Taek Jho had given him letters, allegedly from the Saudi Arabian government, to close the matter if any investigation were to be initiated into the sovereign fund four years ago.
Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, in testifying against his former boss, said the fugitive businessman wanted the alleged letters to be used as assurance to close the investigations into Petro Saudi International.
“Jho Low gave me and Datuk Seri’s principle private secretary, Azlin Alias, the letters in early 2015 as part of the damage control after the 1MDB issue was widely reported on the New York Times, Sarawak Report and Wall Street Journal,” he said in his witness statement.
Amhari also told the High Court that a special task force had been set up in 2015 to probe 1MDB.
The task force consisted of then attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, then inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, then Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed, and then Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Najib is standing trial on 25 charges of power abuse and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds in his bank account.
Jho Low was the power behind the scenes, witness says in 1MDB trial
V Anbalagan
-September 3, 2019 12:58 PM
FMT
Najib Razak’s former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.
KUALA LUMPUR: A witness in Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial told the High Court here today that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho had exerted authority and influence despite having no official position.
Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, Najib’s former special officer, said Low, better known as Jho Low, was Najib’s “unofficial adviser” and had worked behind the scenes without the knowledge of others.
He said this included attending to Najib’s international programmes, working visits, business proposals and policies, social work and matters pertaining to 1MDB.
Amhari, the eighth prosecution witness, said Jho Low had also made the arrangements in investment affairs and government-to-government negotiations, and helped Najib obtain political funds.
“Jho Low would direct us from the Prime Minister’s Department, especially Najib’s confidential secretary Azlin Alias and I who executed the prime minister’s orders,” he said when examined by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib.
He added that Jho Low’s orders were carried out as he believed the businessman had prior approval from Najib.
“However, sometimes Azlin and I cross-checked with Najib to confirm whether what Jho Low told us was true,” he said.
Najib is facing 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds in his AmBank accounts.
He is accused of abusing his position to obtain RM2.28 billion in bribes in February 2011 and December 2014.
He is also said to have transferred RM2.28 billion in illegal funds to his bank accounts and to have subsequently used the money.
Amhari, 43, was personally recruited by Najib when the latter was deputy prime minister in 2008.
He said he knew that Jho Low was close to both Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.
“He frequently received calls from Rosmah, but I was not privy to their conversations,” he added.
He also said Najib had always met with Jho Low and discussed confidential matters.
He said Jho Low had been close to Najib’s family since getting to know Rosmah’s son, Riza Aziz, when they were teenagers.
He described Jho Low as a charismatic and influential person who could order others to execute tasks.
Amhari said he and Azlin would also meet the businessman in secret at night, at Prince Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“Usually, Jho Low would meet Najib earlier in the day at his private residence in Langgak Duta before holding discussions with Azlin and I,” he added.
He said although Najib had never told him and Azlin to meet Jho Low at the hotel, he had used the businessman to order them to execute certain directives.
Ahmari added that Najib never attended any of the secret meetings as he had given his mandate and authorisation to Jho Low.
“Secondly, this was Najib’s way of coordinating and carrying out work in silos, to ensure that secrets were not leaked,” he said.
Amhari said he and Azlin knew that Jho Low was Najib’s trusted lieutenant and a member of the former prime minister’s inner circle.
“That is why Najib did not need to be present to approve Jho Low’s actions when we met at the hotel.”
The hearing continues before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Jho Low was very close to Rosmah, says Najib's former aide
NATION
Tuesday, 03 Sep 201912:37 PM MYT
By ROYCE TAN and NURBAITI HAMDAN
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/09/03/249223.jpg
KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was particularly close to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or better known as Jho Low, the High Court here heard.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin said the former prime minister's wife would always contact Low, but he was unsure as to the details of the conversations.
Amhari, who had worked with Najib for some 10 years, said Low became close to the couple when he got to know Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz (Rosmah' son) when he was a teenager.
"Rosmah had no objections to Jho Low getting close to them. He was young, but he had charisma and incredible power.
"Every order given by Jho Low would be undertaken by everyone. He was like the unofficial advisor to Najib for many matters, including politics and funds received by Najib," he said before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on the third day of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial on Tuesday (Sept 3).
In September 2008 when Amhari reported for work as the special officer to Najib, who was then deputy prime minister, he recalled Jho Low sending him a text message saying: "Bro, I heard you are in TPM Office, congratulations and we will be closely in touch".
Amhari was a Bank Negara scholar who studied economics at the University of Warwick.
He joined the central bank's economy department after graduating in 1999 and was then seconded to the Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister's Department in 2006, serving under former minister Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi at the time.
Amhari returned to Bank Negara in early 2008 and two months later, he was contacted by Najib's special officer Datuk Wan Shihab to attend an interview to be Najib's special officer.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/03/jho-low-was-very-close-to-rosmah-says-najib039s-former-aide#UMSmYZoewbTvzmOZ.99
Najib Razak’s former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.KUALA LUMPUR: A witness in Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial told the High Court here today that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho had exerted authority and influence despite having no official position.
Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, Najib’s former special officer, said Low, better known as Jho Low, was Najib’s “unofficial adviser” and had worked behind the scenes without the knowledge of others.
He said this included attending to Najib’s international programmes, working visits, business proposals and policies, social work and matters pertaining to 1MDB.
Amhari, the eighth prosecution witness, said Jho Low had also made the arrangements in investment affairs and government-to-government negotiations, and helped Najib obtain political funds.
“Jho Low would direct us from the Prime Minister’s Department, especially Najib’s confidential secretary Azlin Alias and I who executed the prime minister’s orders,” he said when examined by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib.
He added that Jho Low’s orders were carried out as he believed the businessman had prior approval from Najib.
“However, sometimes Azlin and I cross-checked with Najib to confirm whether what Jho Low told us was true,” he said.
Najib is facing 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds in his AmBank accounts.
He is accused of abusing his position to obtain RM2.28 billion in bribes in February 2011 and December 2014.
He is also said to have transferred RM2.28 billion in illegal funds to his bank accounts and to have subsequently used the money.
Amhari, 43, was personally recruited by Najib when the latter was deputy prime minister in 2008.
He said he knew that Jho Low was close to both Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.
“He frequently received calls from Rosmah, but I was not privy to their conversations,” he added.
He also said Najib had always met with Jho Low and discussed confidential matters.
He said Jho Low had been close to Najib’s family since getting to know Rosmah’s son, Riza Aziz, when they were teenagers.
He described Jho Low as a charismatic and influential person who could order others to execute tasks.
Amhari said he and Azlin would also meet the businessman in secret at night, at Prince Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“Usually, Jho Low would meet Najib earlier in the day at his private residence in Langgak Duta before holding discussions with Azlin and I,” he added.
He said although Najib had never told him and Azlin to meet Jho Low at the hotel, he had used the businessman to order them to execute certain directives.
Ahmari added that Najib never attended any of the secret meetings as he had given his mandate and authorisation to Jho Low.
“Secondly, this was Najib’s way of coordinating and carrying out work in silos, to ensure that secrets were not leaked,” he said.
Amhari said he and Azlin knew that Jho Low was Najib’s trusted lieutenant and a member of the former prime minister’s inner circle.
“That is why Najib did not need to be present to approve Jho Low’s actions when we met at the hotel.”
The hearing continues before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Jho Low was very close to Rosmah, says Najib's former aide
NATION
Tuesday, 03 Sep 201912:37 PM MYT
By ROYCE TAN and NURBAITI HAMDAN
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/09/03/249223.jpg
KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was particularly close to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or better known as Jho Low, the High Court here heard.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin said the former prime minister's wife would always contact Low, but he was unsure as to the details of the conversations.
Amhari, who had worked with Najib for some 10 years, said Low became close to the couple when he got to know Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz (Rosmah' son) when he was a teenager.
"Rosmah had no objections to Jho Low getting close to them. He was young, but he had charisma and incredible power.
"Every order given by Jho Low would be undertaken by everyone. He was like the unofficial advisor to Najib for many matters, including politics and funds received by Najib," he said before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on the third day of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial on Tuesday (Sept 3).
In September 2008 when Amhari reported for work as the special officer to Najib, who was then deputy prime minister, he recalled Jho Low sending him a text message saying: "Bro, I heard you are in TPM Office, congratulations and we will be closely in touch".
Amhari was a Bank Negara scholar who studied economics at the University of Warwick.
He joined the central bank's economy department after graduating in 1999 and was then seconded to the Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister's Department in 2006, serving under former minister Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi at the time.
Amhari returned to Bank Negara in early 2008 and two months later, he was contacted by Najib's special officer Datuk Wan Shihab to attend an interview to be Najib's special officer.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/03/jho-low-was-very-close-to-rosmah-says-najib039s-former-aide#UMSmYZoewbTvzmOZ.99
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