1MDB TRIAL | The late-night BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) chat between former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping and fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) was not for the duo's benefit, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur heard.
The 41st prosecution witness Yu testified that the chat - that lasted from 12.41am until around 11am of Aug 21, 2014 - was about arranging the transfer of RM5 million from former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s account to Umno.
Yu was replying during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib during the RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial against former finance minister Najib, who also used to be Umno president.
Yu: He (Low) informed me around 12.41am there is a cheque of RM5 million to Umno and need to arrange funds. I read the message around 1.06am and I replied okay and would try to prepare the RM5 million cheque.
Akram: The conversation was on money to be paid to Umno?
Yu: Yes.
Akram: For whose benefit?
Yu: Umno.
Akram: The conversation was not for the benefit of you and Low but instead for Umno?
Yu: Yes.
During the re-examination, Yu (above) also testified that she frequently met Low at his then apartment at Jalan Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur, for work purposes involving 1MDB-related matters.
Earlier this morning during cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Yu dismissed allegation of being involved in an extramarital affair with the businessperson.
Shafee was grilling her over whether there was more to Yu’s meeting with Jho other than work. She had earlier testified that she was married.
At one point, deputy public prosecutor Deepa Nair objected to Shafee’s line of questioning, labelling it inappropriate.
When trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah asked where is the defence team going with the questions, Shafee replied that they wished to show the inappropriateness of the relationship between Yu and Low.
“Yes, Yang Arif. Everybody having an affair also say they having a meeting. So I want to find out whether it was work or more,” Shafee said.
Sequerah then allowed the cross-examination with a caveat not to pursue it further than that.
Yu then answered that her meetings with Low were work-related and appropriate as she was never alone with the businessperson as there were always other people present, among them being then 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.
The former banker also testified that Najib's then mandate holder for his accounts, then 1MDB chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, described Low as "boss".
She further denied Shafee's contention that the late-night chat between her and Low on Aug 21, 2014, showed there was an inappropriate relationship between the duo.
Previously, Yu testified being in constant communication with Low in regard to the management of Najib’s accounts.
The trial resumes this afternoon, with Akram expected to continue his re-examination of Yu.
Yu had been on the witness stand for 12 days (including today) since Oct 13 last year, with ten of those days spent being cross-examined by Najib’s legal team.
Najib is facing four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion from 1MDB.
For the four abuse of power charges, the former Pekan MP is alleged to have committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank Berhad’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch in Bukit Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur, between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014.
On the 21 money laundering counts, the accused is purported to have committed the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013.
The prosecution contended that the wrongdoing at 1MDB was carried out by Low and several others, with Najib’s blessing.
However, the accused’s defence team claimed Najib had no knowledge of the crime perpetrated at 1MDB and that Low, as well as other members of the fund’s management, had masterminded the embezzlement.
The authorities are still attempting to track down Low and Nik Faisal, among several others linked to the 1MDB affair. - Mkini
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