The High Court today heard that a series of meetings were held between fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low and other key figures in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal to embezzle millions of dollars from the sovereign wealth fund.
The contention was made by lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed during cross-examination on former 1MDB chief executive officer, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s RM2.3 billion 1MDB graft trial.
The ninth prosecution witness, however, denied that he was present in such meetings, which was also allegedly attended by ex-Goldman Sachs bankers Tim Leissner and Roger Ng, 1MBD’s chief financial officer Terence Geh and general counsel Jasmine Loo.
Yesterday, the court heard that Goldman Sachs was appointed to represent 1MDB in February 2012 in the acquisition of Tanjong Energy Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Wan Aizuddin: In order to embezzle the money with the assistance of Goldman Sachs, you were tasked by Jho Low and Roger Ng to ensure Goldman Sachs was appointed as financial advisor of 1MDB?
Shahrol Azral: I disagree.
Wan Aizuddin: I put it to you, that you had actively supported all of Goldman Sachs proposals in all of 1MDB board of directors meetings including the overpriced Tanjong Energy acquisition?
Shahrol Azral: I disagree.
Wan Aizuddin: I put to you that those mentioned schemes to embezzle the money from 1MDB because you were promised kickbacks.
Shahrol Azral also disagreed to the suggestion.
Earlier, Wan Aizuddin was referring the witness to minutes during earlier days of 1MDB, when the sovereign wealth fund was still known as Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), where the Terengganu palace had raised questions about Jho Low in a meeting that Shahrol Azral attended.
Wan Aizuddin: The reason why I’m showing you this was based on the view of the palace, they were worried Jho Low would misuse the palace’s name. At this point, even if you believe Jho Low was working at the company’s best interest, wouldn’t this trigger your suspicion?
Shahrol Azral: Jho Low had informed me that this issue would come up, so it didn't trigger any suspicion in my mind.
Wan Aizuddin: I honestly find this unbelievable. You were dealing with the palace yet you still choose to believe Jho Low out of all people?
Shahrol Azral: Yes.
Further questioned by the lawyer, the witness again reiterated that Jho Low was acting in good faith and denied being in complicit with Jho Low to defraud 1MDB’s monies.
The court also heard that there was no enquiry conducted against Terence when US$500 million (RM1.8 billion at that time) was transferred out from 1MDB account in 2012.
Wan Aizuddin: He (Terence) came up with this amount, I mean with the instruction letter, you agreed and signed?
Shahrol Azral: Yes.
The witness also replied in negative to the lawyer’s suggestion that he has breached fiduciary duty to act for the best interest of the company.
Najib, 67, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Thu Jul 16 2020
Further questioned by the lawyer, the witness again reiterated that Jho Low was acting in good faith and denied being in complicit with Jho Low to defraud 1MDBs monies.
AWANI Ringkas: Peniaga didenda RM23,000, komen jelik nahas
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Thailand, 17 lagi negara gesa pembebasan segera tawanan di Gaza
Pemimpin 18 negara dalam satu kenyataan bersama menggesa pembebasan segera semua tawanan termasuk warganegara mereka sendiri yang ditahan Hamas di Gaza.
Kes jongkong emas: Saibulrijal didakwa lagi guna dokumen palsu
Mohd Saibulrijal Mohd Saad, 46, mengaku tidak bersalah selepas semua pertuduhan dibaca di hadapan Hakim, Azrul Darus.
TSMC akan hasilkan cip 1.6nm menjelang 2026
Menurut TSMC, teknologi 1.6mm akan memberikan peningkatan prestasi sehingga 8-10% untuk voltan yang sama serta pengurangan penggunaan kuasa antara 15-20% pada kelajuan yang sama.
Anak syarikat SPNB berdepan tindakan penggulungan
Syarikat Wiradani Development Sdn Bhd telah menyerahkan notis untuk menggulung SPNB Aspirasi pada 3 Mei tahun lepas.
Bekas CEO 7-Eleven, Hishammudin Hasan dilantik terajui Al-Ikhsan
Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd melantik Datuk Hishammudin Hasan sebagai ketua pegawai eksekutif (CEO) baharunya berkuat kuasa 17 April.
'Inflasi diunjur meningkat suku kedua kesan pelarasan cukai perkhidmatan, rasionalisasi subsidi'
Momentum inflasi diunjur meningkat pada suku kedua tahun ini kesan daripada pelarasan cukai perkhidmatan serta rasionalisasi subsidi bahan api.
Kontroversi UM: Sarjana ‘berkualiti rendah’ tak patut dijemput - PM Anwar
Anwar menyindir ahli akademik AS yang terbabit dalam kontroversi pro-Israel sebagai sarjana berkualiti rendah dan tidak mempunyai pencapaian luar biasa atau istimewa.
Agong, Raja Permaisuri zahir ucapan Ulang Tahun Keputeraan kepada Sultan Terengganu
Ucapan itu dizahirkan Seri Paduka Baginda berdua menerusi poster yang dimuat naik di Facebook Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar hari ini.
Ada wajah kita tak mahu berpisah, tapi terpaksa melepaskannya - Datuk Red
Menerusi perkongsian itu, Adnan mengatakan ada perkara yang dia terpaksa reda dan menerima takdir yang sudah tertulis untuknya.
Jho Low masukkan wang RM100 juta sebagai hadiah kepada bekas peguam 1MDB
Bekas peguam 1Malaysia Development Berhadmengaku di Mahkamah Tinggi bahawa beliau menerima hadiah RM100 juta daripada ahli perniagaan dalam buruan Jho Low, walaupun telah meninggalkan syarikat itu.
'Saya percayakan Jho Low sebab dia sudah miliki wang berjuta' - Jasmine Loo
Bekas peguam 1MDB memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada Jumaat bahawa tidak terlintas di fikirannya ahli perniagaan dalam buruan Jho Low adalah seorang penipu.
Utusan Malaysia mohon maaf kepada pembaca
Portal berita tempatan Utusan Malaysia memohon maaf selepas menerbitkan artikel berhubung pengampunan bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Najib tidak maklumkan terbitan bon AS$3.5 bilion kepada Kabinet
Mahkamah Tinggi hari ini diberitahu Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak memaklumkan Kabinet mengenai terbitan bon AS$3.5 bilion.
Najib disyaki terima AS$681 juta untuk beli undi PRU13 - SPRM
Seorang pegawai penyiasat SPRM memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi di sini pada Selasa bahawa, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak disyaki menerima AS$681 juta untuk membeli untuk PRU13 pada 11 tahun lalu.
Najib belanja RM80,000 untuk ubat cegah kanser pada 2013 - Pegawai penyiasat
Mahkamah diberitahu bahawa Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak membelanjakan RM80,000 pada 2013 untuk suplemen dan vitamin bagi pencegahan kanser daripada wang derma.
Muhyiddin titipkan doa buat Najib
Semalam, Menteri Kesihatan, Dr Zaliha Mustafa dalam sidang media di Parlimen turut mengesahkan masalah kesihatan yang sedang dihadapi Najib.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Selasa, 15 Ogos 2023.
1MDB: Kerajaan sita, lucut hak harta lebih RM83 juta
Kerajaan sudah menyita dan melucut hak pelbagai harta bernilai lebih RM83 juta berkait kes penyelewengan dana 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) setakat ini.
SPRM percaya Jho Low sembunyi di Macau - Laporan
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) percaya bahawa ahli perniagaan dalam buruan Low Taek Jho atau Jho Low bersembunyi di Macau.