KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, is big on dropping names, apart from being remembered for extreme tardiness in attending meetings or repaying loans late or sometimes never, the High Court heard today.
His traits were briefly listed down by former banker Joanna Yu Gin Ping when she was cross-examined by defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah this afternoon during former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial.
Yu, who has known Jho since 2007, said that among the names dropped by Low were several big personalities from the Middle East, including Queen Rania of Jordan.
"He would drop names... that he was going to meet somebody from Kuwait, or here and there. I would just (usually) let it pass; it did not matter to me.
"He would drop these names, including saying that he met the Bank Negara governor or the prime minister (at the material time). He always bragged so to his friends, including (former 1MDB director) Casey Tang, before meetings start.
"He would also mention this one queen... Queen Rania. He would mention about their meetings or travels together," she said.
Yu also told Shafee that she had read a write-up that supported one of Low's many brags, about being a Wharton Business School graduate.
However, this took a turn when Shafee asked Yu if she knew that he had dropped out of the Ivy League school.
Shafee: All the while you knew Jho, you knew that he graduated from Wharton? Until now, you believe so?
Yu: Yes
Shafee: So he convinced you that he's a graduate of Wharton?
Yu: Yes
Shafee: If I were to tell you that I have discovered, also recently that he dropped out of Wharton, never graduated from Wharton
Yu: Oh! I didn't know that!
Shafee: Yeah... I'm surprised by this myself. The now chairman of the Securities Commission said that he's a dropout from Wharton.
Shafee then moved on to Najib's Ambank accounts, asking Yu if there had been any effort made by the bank to contact the former prime minister directly for any authorisation or clarification regarding his accounts and who was tasked to handle his accounts.
He further pressed the 41st prosecution witness when she said that she had never directly contacted Najib because she does not have direct access to him.
She stumbled upon answering Shafee's barrage of questions asking why she nor the bank could not make any extra effort to directly reach out to Najib at the time.
Yu agreed that she never tried to, though she agreed that somebody in the bank does have direct access to Najib.
Najib, 69, is facing 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 Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.