Shahrol: Umno members were jealous of Jho Low’s proximity to Najib

NAJIB TRIAL | 1MDB-linked businessperson Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, wanted to keep his involvement in the company in low key so as to protect then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s position in Umno, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard this afternoon.

According to former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, this came after some Umno members had purportedly become jealous of Low’s closeness to Najib after Low was appointed as the company’s adviser in 2010.

The prosecution witness claimed that some trouble had brewed over after Najib, as the premier then, had become 1MDB’s sole shareholder and stakeholder, and this had thus made Shahrol believe to be Low’s reason for not wanting his role to be widely known to the public.

"It started being a problem when Najib became the sole stakeholder in 1MDB and there was a lot of perasaan dengki (jealousy) from people within Umno over Low's influence and access to Najib.

"It made sense to me when Low informed me that his (Low) involvement needed to be kept low-key as to not weaken Najib's position in Umno. I accepted this explanation (from Low).

"In 2009, 2010 and 2011, not many people knew Low was playing a big role in Najib’s relationships with Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and even the Chinese at the time," he told the court under cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Shahrol (photo) was testifying before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah as the ninth prosecution witness in the 1MDB criminal trial against Najib. Today was day 17 of the hearing.

'I was in Team Najib'

Earlier, Shahrol also testified that he was in Team Najib when 1MDB was under the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 2015.

The witness said he believed that all the allegations on 1MDB were only political attacks that were mounted on Najib.

According to Shahrol, during the PAC hearing at Parliament in 2015, he was unable to provide full answers as he was kept getting cut off during questioning by the panel.

Shafee then asked Shahrol why the witness does not do anything about it in regard to being cut off during questioning by the PAC panel led by Rompin MP Hasan Arifin.

Shafee reminded Shahrol the PAC later came to the conclusion that the witness should be investigated for decisions made without the consent of the 1MDB board.

Shahrol: I was (in) Team Najib, I was playing my role.

Shafee: How could you be Team Najib when you were condemned?

Shahrol: Even at that time, I trusted Najib and before all these other things came up, I was shown the money flow and the account. I still believed him (Najib) and that there was a political attack against him. I trusted Najib and his team that this was a political attack against him and I trusted that what I did as (1MDB) CEO was in accordance with Najib's wishes for the good of the country.

Shafee: You believed this aspect, what you just said that you trusted Najib which implies what was done in 1MDB was right?

Shahrol: Yes, right for the good of the country.

During the trial, the court also heard from Shahrol, who served as 1MDB CEO from 2009 to 2013, that the company is suffering today due to failure of its initial public offering (IPO).

According to him, the IPO did not materialise due to “lots of negative media attention” on 1MDB that were brought by then opposition parties’ attacks on the sovereign wealth fund.

He agreed to Shafee’s suggestions that if the IPO had taken place, 1MDB's situation would have turned better, and the country would not suffer from its failure today.

According to the witness, 1MDB would be able to generate enough funds to acquire IPPs (independent power producers), which could then be used to expand its energy business.

Can't blame Najib for being conned by Jho Low

During the morning session of the trial, Shahrol had also conceded that he cannot blame Najib for being conned by Low.

The witness said he began to doubt Low only around 2015, while he did not doubt the fugitive financier in 2009.

Shafee: As a (TIA and 1MDB) CEO, if you had implicit and explicit trust (in Low), you would not blame my client the former prime minister (Najib). You yourself got conned (by Low).

Shahrol: I would not blame him (Najib).

Shafee: You cannot say he (Najib) must be a culprit in the conspiracy?

Shahrol: It was not my place to say anything. - Mkini