KUALA LUMPUR: The Edge Media group chairman Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong said fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho had warned the publication to be careful about its reporting on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MBD), High Court heard today.
Tong, testifying as the 43rd prosecution witness today, told judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the warning was made when he met the businessman, better known as Jho Low, several years ago.
He said Low had set up a meeting with him through one of The Edge's reporters.
"In 2014, after The Edge had just started operating, Jho Low contacted me through a reporter and asked to see me. He saw me twice.
"In the first meeting, he told me The Edge's reporting (about 1MDB) was wrong. In the second meeting, he told me that he knows Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
"He said that The Edge should be careful of what we wrote."
Tong said this today when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram during re-examination.
He then told Sri Ram that he had ignored the threats, as he usually did when put in such situation.
Earlier, Tong revealed to the court when cross-examined by lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah that he had gone through a series of introductions which began with Damansara MP Tony Pua Kiam Wee that led him to know former Petrosaudi International employee Xavier Andre Justo.
He said that Tony had given him the contact number of Sarawak Report editor Claire Rewcastle-Brown, who then introduced him to Justo in Singapore.
Shafee then questioned the witness about several news articles that were published four years ago, that reported Tong had given money to Xavier for exposing the 1MDB scandal, to which, Tong admitted that he had gifted Xavier USD$2 million.
He said the money was for Xavier's contributions in cleaning up the largest kleptocracy in the country.
"I felt that Justo (Xavier), for no whim or fancy, and with nothing to gain, paid a huge price to be jailed in Thailand for an action that saved Malaysia from the world's largest kleptocracy.
"I thought he deserved to be paid and thought that the government of Malaysia should have awarded him something.
"But in the absence, I, Tong Kooi Ong, decide that I should help him."
He reiterated that he had paid a handsome amount to Xavier as a gift, despite not getting any information or documents related to 1MDB. He also said that Xavier acknowledged that the money was a gift.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to get bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering.
The trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.