KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi owed a debt of gratitude to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, the High Court heard today.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak made the statement while testifying in his defence against multiple corruption charges related to the 1MDB financial scandal in the High Court today.
Najib said it was rather curious for Shahrol, while testifying as a prosecution witness, to suggest that he delegated the drafting of letters to Jho Low simply because of a supposed close relationship between Jho Low and himself.
"If my relationship with Low was indeed so close, then Shahrol, who had the authority to hire management personnel should have appointed Low as his assistant or consultant.
"This way, Low would have been formally authorised to draft and sign off on letters, without leaving me to believe that Shahrol himself was the author.
"Given this supposed closeness between Low and me, appointing him to such a position would undoubtedly have been a simpler solution for Shahrol," he said while reading his witness statement.
Najib said it would be equally reasonable to assume that, given Shahrol's close relationship with Jho Low since 2007—when Low was his client at Accenture and the person who recommended him for the role of Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) CEO — Shahrol was indebted to Low.
"He allowed his good friend and former client, who secured him a position at twice his previous salary, to manage things as he pleased, even if it meant misleading me, the prime minister and finance minister at the material time. "
Najib also denied ever having discussed with former second finance minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Low about converting TIA to 1MDB.
Najib said he had never received or issued any letter regarding the conversion because no "formal receipt" had been made by him or his office, nor was it shown to him during the investigation.
"If I had received this letter, I would have thought it was prepared by Shahrol because it bore his signature, and I would not have known that Low helped to prepare the letter.
"I deny ever having discussed this matter with Low or Nor Yakcop because I had always been inclined to have TIA remain fully under the control and guarantee of the federal government," he said.
Najib, 71, 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 presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.