The Malaysian Insight

EX-1MDB chief financial officer (CFO) Azmi Tahir did not check with former prime minister Najib Razak if instructions from businessman Low Taek Jho on managing the scandal-plagued sovereign wealth fund did in fact come from Najib, the High Court heard today.

Azmi told defence lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh that he took instructions from Low because Azmi believed Low was representing Najib.

“The events leading to how I met him and what I believed, what everyone else thought, he was legitimately representing Najib.

“I didn’t meet Low on the road somewhere, he was introduced by Azlin Azlias,” Azmi said.

In his witness statement, Azmi said that he first met Low in June 2012, shortly after Azmi joined 1MDB as its CFO.

He said Azlin, who was Najib’s principal private secretary, told Azmi to meet with him and Low in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Azmi said while he was there, Low informed him that all instructions that came from Low or Azlin were Najib’s mandate, and that he needed only to follow them.

Hariharan then asked if all the instructions from Low came with Najib’s blessing, why then did he need to have a meeting at the businessman’s private home.

“If there is blessing, do you agree Low need not meet you and Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman, 1MDB’s former CEO, in his house on Jalan Kia Peng?

“I put it to you, all these meetings are secret meetings purely with Low. If it was with Najib’s blessing, it will happen in office,” the lawyer said.

In reply, Azmi said it didn’t matter where they met.

“That was where we were called, so we went. He (Jho Low) was not always around as he was rarely in town. When he called to meet, I went. It was as simple as that.”

He also met Najib in his private residence, Azmi said, to emphasise his point.

“I also met Najib in his house. Does it matter where we meet?”

Hariharan also asked if the witness had met with Najib at his residence, why did he not verify that Low’s instructions were from Najib.

“You took the position earlier, instructions from Low are in fact blessings from Najib. Why didn’t you ask Najib when you were in his house?

“All that it takes is just to verify,” the lawyer said.

Azmi said that he was there to meet Najib with regards to the KPMG audit report and it was not appropriate to bring up the matter, especially when his superiors, who were also in attendance, did not broach the subject.

Low was also present during this meeting.

“It was not appropriate for me to talk to the PM like that.

“I would also look stupid. It’s very convenient to say that you can walk up to the meeting and ask. The meeting is for KPMG, I don’t know how it will look as a professional to ask.

“Now in hindsight maybe I should have, but it was not appropriate (at the time).”

Najib’s 1MDB trial resumed today after a two-week adjournment. He is standing trial for graft involving RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds.

The case is being heard before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah. – January 26, 2022.