KUALA LUMPUR – Fugitive businessman, Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, often referred the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak as ‘boss’.
Besides that, Jho Low would also use the term PM (Prime Minister) whenever he was referring to Najib, said the 13th witness, who is also the former Non-Executive Director of 1MDB, Tan Sri Ismee Ismail during the RM2.3 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) embezzlement trial involving Najib.
Ismee alleged that the ‘boss’ and ‘PM’ frequently mentioned by Jho Low in his dealings and Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) Steering Committee meetings. TIA was a strategic investment company, which was renamed as 1MDB.
According to Ismee, Jho Low often portrayed himself as the advisor to Najib who had an official appointment in TIA and the Steering Committee but he did not have any official appointment in 1MDB.
“What I knew was he (Jho Low) was working behind the scenes of 1MDB because the Board of Directors (BOD) and myself would receive emails frequently from him.
“The emails comprised of proposals to the BOD and management on investments and development of 1MDB.
“I did not know on what capacity Jho Low issued those emails and the level of his involvement in 1MDB. What the BOD and I knew was that Jho Low had very good relationship with Najib,” he said while reading out his witness statement today.
Thus, all instructions given by Jho Low to the BOD would be obeyed, he added.
Meanwhile, the witness also shared with the court on how he got to know Jho Low.
“I knew Jho Low during the appointment of TIA Steering Committee at the Terengganu Palace in early 2009, where the man introduced himself nonchalantly.
“I was unsure about his capacity at the event, but I considered Jho Low as the advisor to the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin,” he said.
The proceeding took place before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Najib, who is also the Member of Parliament of Pekan and Chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN) Advisory Board is facing four counts of charges for abusing his power to receive gratification amounting to RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money-laundering charges involving the same amount of money. -MalaysiaGazette
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