KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 2): Fugitive Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low’s presence was felt “everywhere” in the 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) debacle, according to prosecution in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s US$620 million (RM2.27 billion) 1MDB-Tanore trial. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib, who had begun his submissions in the trial on Wednesday morning, said Jho Low was involved in “a lot” of 1MDB transactions.

Ahmad Akram further submitted that many witnesses throughout the trial had attested to Jho Low’s presence in 1MDB, and the influence he had over the running of the company and his relationship with Najib. 

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“Jho Low is not a fictitious character. He is identified by most of the witnesses in this trial. He is a real person. He is everywhere in this case; he is involved in a lot of things and transactions,” he said. 

Ahmad Akram had then referred to The Edge Media Group chairman Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong’s warning to Najib, as an example of Jho Low’s presence in 1MDB.

In November 2022, Tong had taken the stand as the 43rd prosecution witness. He had testified about his warning to Najib. 

Tong said that in their meeting on March 6, 2015 at Najib’s Langgak Duta house, he had shown that a large chunk of the US$1.8 billion of funds that 1MDB invested in the joint venture (JV), was siphoned out by Jho Low and PetroSaudi International founders Tarek Obaid, Patrick Mahony and Prince Turki.

Tong added that the initial US$1 billion pumped into the JV was not done based on real evaluation, including the fact that the oil and gas assets were not owned by PetroSaudi.

Ahmad Akram said that despite Tong’s warning, Najib had motioned for The Edge’s chairman to leave. 

“Tong further told him during this meeting that Jho Low should be held accountable for the diversion of US$700 million to Good Star, and should face prosecution but as a response, the accused went to the door and opened it for him to leave. 

“Najib turned a blind eye and deaf ear when Tong raised his concerns about 1MDB. This again shows that the accused had interest in 1MDB’s affairs,” he said. 

“Tong himself was shown the door when he approached Najib as a friend to warn him that Jho Low was doing something wrong behind his back,” Ahmad Akram said. 

He then cited other examples of Jho Low’s presence in 1MDB, and in relation to Najib. 

Ahmad Akram cited 15th prosecution witness Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh’s testimony in 2022, when Mohd Bakke had said that he had seen Jho Low frequenting Najib’s offices when he was deputy prime minister and defence minister. 

Ahmad Akram also spoke of the infamous phone call on Sept 26, 2009, in which Jho Low had passed his phone to Mohd Bakke to speak with Najib on the other end. 

Mohd Bakke had maintained that Najib asked him to “forget all the past” 1MDB transactions and firm up a JV with PetroSaudi, which was in its finalising stages. 

Ahmad Akram said this shows Jho Low’s influence. 

He then cited Najib’s then aide Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin’s testimony, in which Jho Low helped Amhari conduct several real estate deals there, and accompanied him to deal with the Chinese. 

Ahmad Akram then cited another infamous incident in which Najib’s family vacationed with Middle East royalty on Jho Low’s arrangement and presence. 

“Jho Low was there in some holidays with Najib and family; he was in the picture (taken) with Prince Turki, Tarek Obaid (together with Najib’s family),” he said, among other instances of Jho Low being with Najib. 

“He was everywhere,” Ahmad Akram added. 

Since the beginning of the trial, it is the prosecution’s case that Jho Low was Najib’s mirror image and that the two had worked hand-in-glove to siphon money out of 1MDB’s coffers. 

In the 1MDB-Tanore trial, Najib is charged with four counts of abuse of power in enriching himself with RM2.27 billion of 1MDB funds, and 21 counts of money laundering of the same amount.

The submissions stage is slated to end this week, after which judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah will set a date to deliver his judgement. 

If Sequerah finds prima facie in the prosecution’s case, then the defence stage of the trial will commence, with Najib taking the stand in his defence. 

However, if Sequerah does not find any prima facie evidence by the prosecution, then Najib will be discharged and acquitted from his charges.  

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