Witness: Jho Low prepared report on China trip to bail out 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR:

Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho had prepared the report on the China trip to bail out debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) although it was the former special officer of Datuk Seri Najib Razak who went for the meeting.

Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, who was Najib’s ex-special aide, said he updated the former prime minister on the report titled “Update on ChinaMalaysia Economic Programme: July 18, 2016” as soon as he got back from the trip and shared a copy of the report with him.

Amhari, who was testifying as the eighth prosecution witness in Najib’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds, told the High Court that he was sent to China as the latter’s special envoy.

Under cross-examination by Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, he said no author was stated in the report.

In his previous testimony, Amhari said he had received the document either from Low via email or personally from former 1MDB director Terrence Geh. Shafee: You did not write your name or Jho Low’s name? There was no author on the report?

Amhari: No.

Shafee: Why was that? Amhari: Because it was clear there were only the three of us (Amhari, Low and Geh) involved in this mission... It was clear that it came from Jho Low. Najib knew. Shafee: You said this document originated from Jho Low. How did you obtain it?

Amhari: Through email.

Shafee: Your verbal claim was that you showed the document to the PM and it was prepared by

Jho Low? He (PM) sent you to China as his special envoy. Are you saying you did not prepare any report?

Amhari: Correct.

Shafee: Did you ask him (PM) to read it?

Amhari: I explained to him on the first part, where there was a suggestion to change the sector board from private to public regarding several projects that was discussed during the trip.

Shafee: You gave Najib this copy? Amhari: I gave him a copy. I believe he returned it back to me.

Earlier, the court heard that a tip-off from Amhari was the reason that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission raided Low’s home in Jalan Kia Peng here.

He told the court how he told MACC about the whiteboard drawings as part of the discussion on the Terengganu Investment Authority, now known as 1MDB, in Low’s kitchen.

He said he visited Low’s home twice for the discussion.

“I was detained by the MACC not long after I came back from Cambodia with my family in July last year.”

Trial continues today.