Ex-1MDB CEO denies treating Jho Low like Malaysia’s PM

 Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi says he communicated with then prime minister Najib Razak through informal channels, including through Jho Low.

Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi admitted he did not know whether Low Taek Jho had informed then prime minister Najib Razak about the dispute involving the Serdar oil field project.

PETALING JAYA:

Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he did not treat fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, as though the latter was the country’s prime minister.

However, the 56-year-old, testifying as the fourth plaintiff witness in 1MDB’s USD5.64 billion civil suit, said he had communicated with then prime minister Najib Razak through informal channels, including through Jho Low.

He said this during cross-examination by lawyer GK Ganesan, who represents former 1MDB investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jin, the seventh defendant in the suit, Bernama reported.

Ganesan asked whether Shahrol had communicated directly with Najib about the dispute between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan over the Serdar oil field project, which related to the RM1 billion joint venture deal between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International.

Ganesan: Did you think it was important enough for the sitting prime minister (Najib) to know that two countries were fighting over ownership of the Serdar oil field?

Shahrol: Yes.

The witness also admitted that he did not know whether Jho Low had informed Najib about the dispute involving the Serdar oil field project.

Ganesan: For all intents and purposes, you treated Jho Low as if he were the prime minister of Malaysia.

Shahrol: I disagree.

1MDB and its subsidiaries – 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd, 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd and Global Diversified Investment Company Ltd, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Ltd – filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021.

They named Najib, 1MDB’s former deputy chief financial officer Terrence Geh, former executive director of business development Casey Tang, former general counsel Jasmine Loo, former chief investment officer Vincent Beng, former chief operating officer Radhi Mohamad, former director of investments Kelvin Tan, and former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil as defendants.

Last week, 1MDB dropped its civil suit against Radhi, with no liberty to refile. The company had previously removed Loo from the case as well.

The writ of summons stated that the plaintiffs, among other things, accused the defendants of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds.

The trial before judicial commissioner Redzuan Idrus resumes tomorrow. - FMT