NAJIB Razak’s 1MDB trial enters its eleventh day today with the eighth prosecution witness, former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, returning to the stand for the final time.

Amhari will be re-examined by senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, who is expected to seek clarification on Najib’s role in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

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 Kuala Lumpur High Court may also today call to the stand the next prosecution witness, former Terengganu Investment Authority CEO Shahrol Ibrahim Halmi, who will read out his witness statement.  

On Thursday, Amhari told the court that Najib’s chief of staff Abdul Aziz Kassim had ordered documents, including those related to 1MDB, to be shredded just before the general election last year.

The witness said the directive was given to officers at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) before the May 9 polls. Amhari said he had forgotten to destroy the documents as he was preoccupied with the election campaign. The documents were later seized by enforcement authorities and tendered as evidence in the 1MDB trial.

Amhari also testified on Thursday that Najib had backed Low Taek Jho and placed the financier in his position in 1MDB operations.

The witness testified that Najib had sided with Low, commonly known as Jho Low, even when former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy raised concerns about the Penang-born businessman’s credibility.

Najib faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if found guilty. The 66-year-old is represented by a dozen lawyers led by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Sri Ram, a former Federal Court justice, leads the prosecution while High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah presides.

The Malaysian Insight brings you today’s proceedings live:

4.40pm: Shahrol says the first TIA meeting took place on March 23, 2009, and the second meeting took place the next day. He says Low was present along with a senior Finance Ministry (MoF) officer, Wan Abdul Aziz.

Shahrol: Low wanted to push MoF to speed up the bond issuance process so that the deal with Mubadalah can take place. MoF was given a month to issue to bond and the Ministry was not comfortable with it.

Sri Ram: What was the reason for the urgency?

Shahrol: Clearly it was the investment in Pulau Bidong with Mubadalah. I was shown plans to develop the island by Nik Faisal and Low.

Court is adjourned to 9.30am tomorrow.

3.55pm: Sri Ram: When you met the accused, how did the conversation go?

Shahrol: It was an introduction to Mubadalah oil and gas CEO Maurizio la Noce. There was prior discussion between the Mubadalah CEO and Najib.

Court takes a break.

3.45pm: Sri Ram asks Sharol why does he think Low had a close relationship with the accused.

Sri Ram: Why do you have that view?

Shahrol: Right after Najib was made prime minister, there were a lot of rumours communicated to me from Low that weekend. Rosmah was worried…

Shafee objects before Shahrol can finish his words.

Shafee: This isn’t a coffee shop. This is getting ridiculous. Hearsay is a statement made by anyone who is not giving evidence. Low is not giving evidence.

Sri Ram then asks Shahrol to state from his observation how is Low close to Najib.

Shahrol: They are very close. One of my observations was when Low took me to the accused’s residence in Putrajaya. He was already prime minister at the time but was still staying at the deputy prime minister’s residence.

Low took me straight inside, waving to the guard. He was familiar with the premises’ layout and waiting area. The staff knows him. He asked for iced milo from them, and then he met Najib.

3.30pm: Sri Ram: Were TIA’s accounts ever audited?

Shahrol: No.

2.45pm: Shahrol: TIA was just a two dollar company. There were no funds (in it). The new company was not able to get a credit line. We needed a place to work and Low offered his meeting room in Utama Banking Group (UBG) in KLCC to use. It was for fundraising and operational work of TIA and to take on staff.

2.35pm: Shahrol says he was not involved with TIA in the beginning after it was founded in February 2009 but joined a little later in March. He says the idea for the sovereign wealth fund came from Terengganu ruler Sultan Mizan and Low after a visit to Abu Dhabi.

Shahrol says the idea to form the fund was explained to him by Low himself.

Shahrol says Low had direct access to Najib, and he could call Najib in the middle of a meeting to ask for an opinion. He says Low had referred to the former prime minister as “boss” in many instances and the businessman was an important person for Najib. Shahrol says Low also acted as a facilitator between Sultan Mizan and Najib.

2.25pm: Shahrol says was offered by Low to join TIA. He says the offer was made through a phone call from Low in March 2009, in which the latter asked Shahrol to meet him at Istana Terengganu in Kuala Lumpur.

On March 23, 2009, Shahrol was officially appointed as TIA CEO. He reported directly to TIA’s board of directors.

Shahrol: My job scope is to promote TIA and to prepare reports, or to hold presentations if requested by the board of directors.

2.15pm: Court resumes. Former Terengganu Investment Authority CEO Shahrol Ibrahim Halmi, the ninth prosecution witness, is called to the stand.

12.25pm: Court breaks for lunch. Session will resume 2pm.

11.45am: Sri Ram asks Amhari what he referred to when he said  “The Wolf of Wall Street”.

Amhari: The film produced by Najib’s (step)son Riza Aziz. 

Sri Ram: At any one point in 2015 to 2018 were there instructions from the accused to file a police report on1MDB?

Amhari: No.

Sri Ram: MACC report?

Amhari: No.

11.37am: Sri Ram asks Amhari about his ex-boss’s exclamation of “Duit 1MDB-lah, bro” described in the witness’ statement.

Sri Ram: SR: What did you mean by “Duit 1MDB-lah, bro” in relation to the accused and 1MDB?

Amhari: I said this because 2015 and late 2014 were difficult years for the PMO and Najib; because many reports and proof of fraud in 1MDB had surfaced at the time. It can be said that the PMO was besieged over 1MDB in 2015.

We at the office decided to take the position of defence because we believed it was a conspiracy against the PM.

Sri Ram: Who do you mean by “we”?

Amhari: Datuk Azlin and myself as well as other senior officers. The issue of funds misappropriation, the PetroSaudi deal, Jho Low’s lavish lifestyle and The Wolf of Wall Street – these all arose from 1MDB. This all happened in early 2015, I believe in January or February, because Azlin died in April. At the time the issue was hot and widely publicised. 

11.25am: Court is in session.

Witness Amhari takes the stand. – September 23, 2019.