‘YOU KEPT QUIET TO PROTECT JHO LOW’
Shafee accuses former aide of perpetuating fugitive businessman’s misrepresentation
DAY nine of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial started with the defence arguing over the “relationship” between key witness Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin and fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah questioned the authenticity of Low, who had claimed he was the adviser of the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is also the Terengganu ruler, at meetings related to the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), which later became 1MDB.
However, it was refuted by the sultan’s representative Wan Ismail Wan Nik during a meeting in Parliament on June 30, 2009 and Amhari knew about it (misrepresentation).
The meeting was attended by Wan Ismail, a representative from Terengganu’s Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI), and TIA chief executive officer Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.
Shafee claimed that Amhari was protecting Low by not raising the issue to his superior, Datuk Seri Ab Aziz Kassim.
He said Amhari saw this issue (misrepresentation by Low) as prejudicial as he had failed to report it to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Amhari, however, refuted the claims stating that he had not contributed to the meeting as he was merely a junior officer.
Shafee: I put it to you that in the meeting, you should have contributed to the content on who Low was. As the only representative of the PMO, you failed to do.
Amhari: I did not believe it was necessary because as a junior officer, I needed to follow orders from senior officers from the Finance Ministry.
Shafee: Is there any prohibition (for a junior to talk)? Amhari: No.
Shafee: So you can speak?
Amhari: Yes, but all civil servants understand that at times, you keep quiet, observe and come back for instructions… I think it is normal.
Shafee: I was a civil servant for eight years. This is not normal. How can you, being the sole representative from PMO, keep quiet when you realised that Low was misrepresenting… you perpetuated this misrepresentation. Amhari: I disagree.
Shafee: I put it to you, you are trying to protect Low as you were close to him… you were benefiting from this.
Amhari: I disagree. However, Amhari said he did inform his boss, Aziz, but was unsure if he briefed Najib about it. Shafee: Do you regard this as a serious matter?
Amhari: Yes.
Shafee: Did you send a memo about this to Azlin (Najib’s former principal special officer) or Aziz? Amhari: No.
Shafee: Why not?
Amhari: Because Aziz told me to report to him.
Shafee: Did you tell him about this? Amhari: Yes. I told him about this and also several other problems regarding TIA.
Amhari said he raised the issue during a “secret meeting” between Azlin, Low and him at a hotel room.
During the proceedings, Shafee tendered documents on the federalisation of TIA from MBI to the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc).
The documents showed that MBI wanted MoF Inc to take over as the fund was not “moving anywhere” under the state.
However, MoF Inc wanted the entity to remain with Terengganu.
Shafee: The preferred choice was for TIA to remain with Terengganu, but the federalisation was made “by default” as nobody could handle it?
Amhari: Based on the documents, I agree.
Amhari also agreed that Low had influence on TIA-1MDB matters.