LOW Taek Jho was known to telephone Najib Razak during Terengganu Investment Authority meetings to get the former prime minister’s views, a witness told the high court at the 1MDB trial today.

Former TIA CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testified that soon after he was appointed to his post on March 23, 2009, he saw that Low, commonly known as Jho Low, had “direct access” to Najib.

“As an example, during a TIA board of directors’ meeting, he (Low) called Najib on his phone, to get some views and guidance,” Shahrol said.

At another meeting on September 26, 2009, to discuss a joint venture with PetroSaudi International, it was Low who received a phone call from Najib.

“Jho Low passed the phone to the then TIA chairman, Tan Sri Bakke Salleh, who then stepped out of the meeting room. He later returned shortly and told the board that it was the prime minister.

“There were many instances where Jho Low had said, ‘Boss told him this, boss told him that’.”

The witness said in March 2009, Low invited him to Najib’s official residence, then at Sri Satria, Putrajaya, to meet Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Najib was then deputy prime minister and was sworn in as prime minister on April 3, 2009.

“Gradually, I came to see they were very close. One observation that I made was when Jho Low took me to the deputy prime minister’s residence in Sri Satria, he took my straight to the gates.

“He demonstrated familiarity with the layout and the waiting area. The staff demonstrated familiarity with him. He asked for ‘Milo-ais’ and then we met Datuk Seri Najib.”

Shahrol said that meeting was to speak with Mubadala Oil and Gas CEO Maurizio La Noce.

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  

Shahrol, who read his witness statement today, said Najib gave Low the mandate to plan and carry out operations at TIA, and later 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

“Whenever Jho Low gave instructions, it would be agreed to and approved by Najib himself. In fact, I am certain that Najib gave him (Low) the mandate to plan and carry out TIA and (later) 1MDB operations from behind the scenes, through his talking points and action plans,” Shahrol said.

“I consider him (Low) to be the facilitator between the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, and Najib, who represented the federal government.

“He (Low) was one of Najib’s most important men and he looked after Najib’s interests from the get-go.” – September 23, 2019.