Jasmine Loo to testify in Najib’s 1MDB trial this month
Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan will testify as the 50th prosecution witness in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court that Loo would be subpoenaed starting Feb 13 after presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered the prosecution to make the next witness available simultaneously with the current witness on the stand, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Senior Supt Nur Aida Arifin.
“Loo is required to be on standby and if Nur Aida can finish her testimony that day (Feb 13), we will continue with the former,” he said.
Nur Aida, the 49th prosecution witness, was supposed to resume her testimony yesterday but was absent due to illness and had been provided with a two-day medical leave certificate.
On Nov 16 last year, the court heard testimonials from the 48th prosecution witness, AntiMoney Laundering Criminal Investigation Division director ACP Foo Wei Min, who revealed that Loo would be a vital witness to unveil all the issues about Tanore Finance Corporation, an entity that transferred US$681 million into Najib’s personal bank account.
On July 7, 2023, Loo, whose testimony is highly anticipated in the 1MDB trial, surrendered herself at the Dang Wangi police headquarters
Earlier, Dr K. Shanmuganathan from Poliklinik Primecare in Putrajaya, who issued the medical certificate to Nur Aida, took the stand and confirmed that the witness was indeed unfit to testify as she was down with a fever, flu and cough.
“She is not fit to work for the next two days. If she attends the court it might spread to people,” said Dr Shanmuganathan, adding the witness did not contract Covid-19 but is still contagious nonetheless.
He also confirmed the discrepancy in the medical certificate and said that he approved the amendments made to it so that it could be used in court. The trial will resume tomorrow (Feb 7).
Najib, 70, who was present in court yesterday, was seen together with his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and children Nooryana Najwa and Mohd Nazifuddin. The former Pekan MP is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.