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1MDB: Jho Low offered to move me to Pemandu, says former CEO

1MDB: Jho Low offered to move me to Pemandu, says former CEO

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told that former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer was offered by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, to move to the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu).

Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, 49, when explaining the matter today said that at the end of 2012, Jho Low had asked him whether he was interested in moving to Pemandu.

“I had said back to him that I served at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. If the PM wishes me to go, I will go.

“However, I had told him (Jho Low) that I felt so many things were left undone in 1MDB mainly the real estate project TRX, Bandar Malaysia as well as our plan to improve the IPP environment in Malaysia,” he said.

The ninth prosecution witness said this when replying to additional questions from senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram on the 14th day of the former premier’s 1MDB trial.

Sri Ram: Here the PM you mean was the accused?

Shahrol Azral: Yes

Sri Ram: What was the outcome?

Shahrol Azral: I was surprised to be informed by 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin at our BOD meeting somewhere in January or February, 2013, that I was about to be moved to Pemandu.

“I received my appointment letter with Pemandu in the month of February, stating that my effective date as the director in Pemandu is on March 15, 2013.

Sri Ram: You have the letter with you?

Shahrol Azral: I may have it in my house

Sri Ram then asked the witness to produce the letter to court on next Monday.

When asked what was Pemandu about, the witness said that it was a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department, headed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala to drive the implementation of the Economic Transformation Programme.

Najib, 66, faced four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion in the 1MDB fund and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The Pekan MP allegedly perpetrated the offence at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad Branch, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon here between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014 while for all charges of money laundering was between March 22, 2013 and Aug 30, 2013, at the same place.

The hearing before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.

Bernama