KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer today described Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s relationship with the fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low as a ‘symbiotic relation’.
Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, 49, said this when replying to an additional question from senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram on the 13th day of the former premier’s 1MDB trial.
Sri Ram: In your opinion, what about the relationship between the accused and Jho Low?
Shahrol Azral: If I could use a biological term, Yang Arif, the relationship was symbiotic.
Sri Ram: The relationship was symbiotic?
Shahrol Azral: Yes…Symbiotic in the sense that Jho Low executed what Datuk Seri Najib wants and Datuk Seri Najib’s role is to approve whatever decisions that were required.
Sri Ram: Required by whom?
Shahrol Azral: Required by not only the company, but also the government machinery.
To another question, the witness said that the joint venture between the Malaysian government and Saudi Arabia was executed by the accused and King Abdullah.
Sri Ram: According to what you said in your witness statement, the joint venture was a deal between the two governments?
Shahrol Azral: Yes
Sri Ram: So the accused executed on behalf of the Malaysian government and the King Abdullah executed on behalf of the Saudi government? Was that what happend?
Shahrol Azral: No
Sri Ram: Did the accused at any point inform the Board of Directors (BOD), why this did not happen?
Shahrol Azral: No
Najib, 66, is facing four charges of having used his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same funds.
The Pekan MP allegedly committed the four offences at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, Jalan Raja Chulan branch, Bukit Ceylon here between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014, and the 21 charges, between March 22 and Aug 30 2013, at the same place.
The trial before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.
–BERNAMA
