KUALA LUMPUR: Citing three reasons, former special officer to Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak maintained his stand that Low Taek Jho, the fugitive businessman also known as Jho Low, is very close to the former prime minister.
In fact, Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, 43, said he had personally witnessed the closeness of their (Jho Low and Najib) relationship.
In reply to Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the 8th prosecution witness said Jho Low went to Najib’s house more often than anyone else.
Muhammad Shafee: Was there any occasion that you witnessed the closeness of their relationship?
Amhari Efendi: Yes.
Muhammad Shafee: Yes, tell me what did you personally witness about the relationship between Datuk Seri Najib and Jho Low?
Amhari Efendi: I see him (Jho Low), more than anyone else, going in and out from Datuk Seri Najib’s house.
Muhammad Shafee: You witnessed it personally that he is in and out from Datuk Seri Najib’s house?
Amhari Efendi: Yes.
Muhammad Shafee: Where is it? In Jalan Duta or...
Amhari Efendi: Mostly in Jalan Duta
Muhammad Shafee: You saw him (Jho Low) often?
Amhari Efendi: Yes, enough to establish his closeness with Datuk Seri Najib.
Asked on other reason for him to say so, the witness said it was because “When Jho Low, myself and Datuk Azlin had meetings, Jho Low will mention certain things to Azlin and say ‘this will be raised to you tomorrow’ and subsequently those matters were raised to Azlin (by Najib). (Datuk Azlin Alias, was then Najib’s Principal Private Secretary)
Muhammad Shafee: That was the second reason. Any other reasons why you conclude they were close?
Amhari Efendi: Jho Low was able to tell the travel dates of Datuk Seri Najib.
Muhammad Shafee: This came from Jho Low’s mouth?
Amhari Efendi: Yes
Muhammad Shafee: You said in your witness statement that Jho Low will make you wait between 30 minutes and one hour every time during the meetings between you, Datuk Azlin and Jho Low. You know why?
Amhari Efendi: Because he is not punctual.
Muhammad Shafee: Is there other reasons? He was wearing “batik”. Why? What do you think he is trying to deliver. All this he learned from Wharton School (of the University of Pennsylvania), you know.
This is to deliver the message to you that he is a very busy man and to deliver to you that he is superior to you and why he always rushing when he met you because he wanted to show that he met the prime minister somewhere and rush to meet you.
Why he was wearing batik? This is the way Jho Low delivers a message that he just went to see somebody official.
Amhari Efendi: I don’t know.
Najib, 66, is facing four charges of abusing his position to corruptly obtain RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering related to the money.
The Pekan MP allegedly committed the four offences at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, Jalan Raja Chulan branch, Bukit Ceylon here between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014, and the 21 charges, between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013, at the same place.
The trial before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Tuesday. — Bernama
