Is it J Lo or Jho Low?

KUALA LUMPUR: A senior deputy public prosecutor was taken aback when he was asked to clarify whether he was referring to sultry American singer/actress J Lo or fugitive businessman Jho Low when questioning a witness.

“Are you saying my client was close to J Lo or Jho Low?” Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah asked Datuk V. Sithambaram in jest as the latter was busy questioning the witness.

Sithambaram, who seemed amused by the question, took the ribbing by his fellow counsel by responding that he meant Jho Low.

“I may have pronounced it as J Lo but I mean Jho Low,” he said as the courtroom erupted in laughter.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was listening attentively from the dock, also broke into a chuckle on hearing the lawyers engaging in the light hearted banter.

Sithambaram had earlier asked the 39th prosecution witness, Tan Sri Ismee Ismail whether he knew Najib was a close associate of Jho Low, who is the central figure in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Ismee had replied that he didn’t know.

Earlier, Shafee also had the court in stitches when he told Ismee that they were facing a similar predicament, no thanks to the 1MDB issue.

Shafee said he had been barred from leaving the country as his passport had been impounded.

“I checked yesterday and found out that you too are blacklisted and cannot leave the country. We are in the same boat,” he said, causing all round laughter in the courtroom.

Ismee responded that both of them should travel together once their passports are released.

The former SRC International Sdn Bhd chairman earlier also confirmed that his two bank accounts were frozen after he was called to give his statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

However, he said the freeze had since been lifted although he was still barred from leaving the country.

Najib, 66, is facing seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money-laundering involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.

He faces 20 years’ jail and fine for the offences.

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