The Malaysian Insight

FORMER 1Malaysia Development Bhd CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi only became suspicious of Low Taek Jho’s alleged criminal activities when enforcement authorities began investigating the state-backed investment fund in 2015.

Under cross-examination by the defence in Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial today, Shahrol said he trusted Low during the period between 2009 to 2015. Shahrol was CEO from 2009 to 2013 and remained on the 1MDB board until 2016.

The 49-year-old witness told the Kuala Lumpur High Court he became aware of criminal allegations against Low when he was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police towards the end of 2015.

“It was when I started (submitting to the investigators) the documents showing the money flow… that was the first time I saw it was Jho Low,” Shahrol said.

Najib is on trial for four counts of power abuse to enrich himself with RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 counts of laundering the same amount. The 66-year-old accused faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

When cross-examined by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today, Shahrol was prompted on why he trusted Low “implicit and explicitly” from the time 1MDB’s precursor, Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) was established in early 2009.

“(The inception of) TIA was underway and the main drivers were already in place. And from what I could observe the key players had the trust of the key stakeholders,” the witness said, adding that the stakeholders included the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, his brother-in-law Abdul Aziz Mohd Akhir, and former 1MDB directors Azlan Zainol and Ismee Ismail.  

Shafee: So you depended on those people you mentioned. Did you have complete trust then in Jho Low and (former 1MDB business development executive director) Case Tang?

Shahrol: Yes.

Shafee: So can you blame the prime minister for having this trust in Jho Low, when you yourself got conned?

Shahrol: I wouldn’t blame him.

Earlier, Shahrol said he was managing director at Accenture when he first met Low in 2007 .

“It started with an SMS. He had SMS’d me to say he wanted to do something about the systems in his company (Utama Banking Group) and asked me to drop by his office,” said Shahrol.

Low had obtained his number from one Azran, a former roommate at Stanford University.

Shafee asked the witness on why he had got on so well with Low.

Shahrol: I guess at the time, Jho (Low) had me pegged as someone who was not ‘kay po chi’, not a busybody.

Shafee: So he likes your character of taking instructions without question.

Shahrol: That’s not quite right. I think it is more I would take whatever information that is necessary to deliver the outcome as I understood it. However, if there is anything other than the outcome that I deem not relevant to the task at hand, I would entrust it to other people.

The trial, presided over by judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, continues tomorrow. – October 7, 2019.