Kuala lumpur: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the High Court today that he did not 'treat' fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, as 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 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak through informal channels, namely via Jho Low.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Shahrol Azral made these remarks during cross-examination by lawyer G.K. Ganesan, who represents former 1MDB investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jin, the seventh defendant in the suit. The issue arose when Ganesan asked whether Shahrol Azral had communicated directly with Najib about the dispute between two countries over the Serdar oil field project, which was related to the RM1 billion joint venture deal.
Ganesan questioned Shahrol Azral on the importance of informing the sitting prime minister about the ownership dispute of the Serdar oil field. Shahrol Azral affirmed the significance of the issue. He also admitted his uncertainty about whether Jho Low had informed Najib about the dispute involving the project.
Ganesan further pressed Shahrol Azral, suggesting that he treated Jho Low as if he were the prime minister of Malaysia. Shahrol Azral disagreed with this assertion.
1MDB and its subsidiaries, including 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited, and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021. The defendants named in the suit include former prime minister Najib, 1MDB's former finance director Terrence Geh Choh Heng, former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee, former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, Vincent Beng, former chief financial officer Radhi Mohamad, Kelvin Tan, and former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.
Recently, 1MDB dropped its civil suit against Radhi, with no liberty to refile, and had previously removed Jasmine from the case. The writ of summons accuses the defendants of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power, and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds.
The trial before Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Redzuan Idrus is set to resume tomorrow.