Najib’s aide received US$800,000; Jho Low deep in 1MDB
KUALA LUMPUR: The former special officer of Najib Razak, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin told the High Court here today that he had received over US$800,000 in a foreign bank account.
Amhari in his testimony said that he was shocked to receive a call from BSI Bank’s officer in Switzerland about three years ago, informing him of the sum.
“I asked the officer to give his opinion on the money that was deposited. The officer only said he would get back to me,” he said in his witness statement.
He also said that he and Azlin Alias, who was Najib’s principle secretary at the time, were asked by businessman Low Taek Jho to open two accounts at BSI Bank Singapore in 2012.
Jho Low told us that Datuk Seri had given us his blessing to open the account, saying ‘just in case and stand by’.
“He also told us there was a possibility that the accounts would be used for political purposes, and that he would manage them,” Amhari said.
He said he and Azlin were afraid that their accounts might be used for money laundering to keep money for Najib ahead of the 2013 general election.
The former prime minister has been slapped with 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited in his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
Amhari also spoke of the extent that Jho Low had over Najib and 1MDB.
He revealed that it was Jho Low who had instructed him and his superior Azlin Alias to open personal bank accounts overseas.
He added that he and Azlin were worried when Jho Low said that their accounts may be used for political reasons in 2012.
“After Jho Low left, Azlin said to me that we had no choice but to follow Jho Low’s order because if we didn’t, we might lose our jobs.
“He said it could also potentially pose harm to our families and ourselves as we already knew the plan.”
He further added that Jho Low had assured him and Azlin of the security of the funds since questioning it would mean that one is going against Najib.
Amhari also revealed that Jho Low was also involved in 1MDB rationalization plan.
“As the situation was not good for 1MDB then, the plan was to sell all its assets and liabilities to cover all its debts.
“An example is the Bandar Malaysia project, where the plan was to transfer the ownership of Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd to a company called Sg Besi Development Sdn Bhd, which would be set up to buy Bandar Malaysia,”
Detailed documents were prepared by Jho Low and were handed over to Amhari and Azlin via email or during meetings at Prince Hotel.
Amhari also revealed that Jho Low went all out to deny his involvement in 1MDB as a part of a damage control measure. This was done via a document entitled ‘Q&A: 1MDB/Yayasan’.
“In this document, it also showed that Jho Low tried to insert answers explaining his role in 1MDB.
“At paragraph seven of the document, it was stressed that Jho Low had no role in 1MDB, although in reality, he was secretly the mastermind for 1MDB.”
Following the appointment of Arul Kanda as CEO and president of 1MDB, he clashed with Jho Low, Amhari said, as seen in an email titled “Urgent: Rationalisation Plan 1MDB” dated April 22, 2015, which Jho Low asked him to forward to Najib.
“This email was sent as Arul Kanda, who was 1MDB CEO at the time, has different plans on 1MDB rationalisation.
“Jho Low needed Najib to tell Arul Kanda to follow his (Jho Low) suggestion and if Arul Kanda still disagreed, Najib then should tell the CEO to resolve the differences in opinion with Jho Low and myself,”
Amhari further added that Jho Low ordered him and his former boss, the late Azlin Alias to work closely with the authorities probing into 1MDB to avoid a negative perception on 1MDB’s rationalization plans.
