Jho Low was close to Rosmah, says Amhari
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin who is being questioned by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah testified as to how he concluded that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho was close to Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Shafee: In a paragraph in your (witness) statement, you said that you were not take instructions unless DS Najib himself gives the instruction.
Amhari: That is the advice but it is not always followed.
Shafee: No, don’t jump the gun. Just answer the question. In this paragraph of your statement, you said you were to get the instruction from PM himself.
Amhari nods.
Shafee: But you did not get PM’s advice on the opening of the BSI account.
Amhari: No, I did not.
Shafee: How did you know that Jho Low was close to Rosmah?
Amhari: There were several occasions during my meetings with (the late Datuk Azlin Alias) and Jho Low at Prince Hotel, that I could hear DS Rosmah talking to Jho Low on the phone.
Shafee: So there were phone calls.
Amhari: Yes, and I also met DS Rosmah and she also spoke about Jho Low.
Shafee: So from this you conclude they were close?
Amhari: Yes.
He was testifying at the trial where Najib is facing 25 charges involving RM2.28 billion through Tanore Finance Corp in Singapore. Of the charges, 21 are for money laundering and the balance four, for money laundering.
Earlier on Amhari denied reading the book Billion Dollar Whale when Shafee suggested that Amhari was aware of Jho Low’s modus operandi to create a fake subsidiary of IPIC named Aabar Investment PJS Ltd (BVI) and another company named PetroSaudi Holdings (Cayman) Ltd to deceive the public.
Shafee: I suggest that due to your association with Jho Low (following Amhari’s alleged dealings with UBG), it was him who suggested that you apply to be special officer to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Amhari: I disagree.
Shafee: When you said that Jho Low said “Bro I heard you are in TPM’s office, congratulations and we will be in touch message” in September 2008 was due to Jho knowing or arranging for you to move to DPM’s office.
Amhari: I disagree.
Despite being involved in Terengganu Investment Authority – the predecessor of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Amhari was unaware about UAE fund company, Mudabala’s involvement in Iskandar Malaysia. Mudabala had invested into IPIC.
He also denied helping Jho Low on Iskandar Malaysia.
