The Malaysian Insight

ROSMAH Mansor was fond of financier Low Taek Jho and invited him to exclusive parties at her Jalan Duta private residence, a witness told the 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial today.

The former prime minister’s wife also spoke to him regularly over the phone when the fugitive businessman, popularly known as Jho Low, met her husband Najib Razak’s aides.

“Whenever she called, Jho Low would tell us to keep quiet and he would say that Rosmah was on the other line. I knew it was her because her conversations were loud,” said Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, the eighth witness in the trial.

Amhari was then Najib’s special officer.

He told the court that even though Jho Low was an outsider, he was always the mainstay at exclusive parties and events held at Najib’s home.

“These parties were attended by VIPs and royalty, but Jho Low was always invited,” Amhari said.

Amhari was responding to a question from defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah why he considered Low to have had a close relationship with Rosmah.

Shafee asked if the witness listened in on their conversation to which Amhari denied but said Rosmah was fond of the financier.

“In my conversations with Rosmah, she always spoke very fondly of Jho Low,” he told the court.

Shafee: Did you attend any functions or meetings where you saw the close relationship (between Rosmah and Low)?

Amhari: Yes, some functions and meet-ups. There were several. Jho Low was there while I was in another section of the house.

Shafee: Was this their No. 11 house (in Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur)?

Amhari: Yes.

Shafee: What transpired to make you conclude they were close?

Amhari: For some private functions that Najib or Rosmah organised, I would see Jho Low being invited. These were exclusive parties.

Najib is on trial for four counts of power abuse to enrich himself by RM2.3 billion and 21 counts of laundering the same amount.

The 66-year-old is represented by a dozen lawyers led by Shafee.

Gopal Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge, leads the prosecution while High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah presides. – September 10, 2019.