KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the High Court today that he did not “treat” fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, as the country’s Prime Minister.

However, the 56-year-old, testifying as the fourth plaintiff witness in 1MDB’s US$5.64 billion civil suit, said he had communicated with then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak through informal channels, namely via Jho Low.

He said this during cross-examination by lawyer G.K. Ganesan, who represents former 1MDB investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jin, the seventh defendant in the suit.

The issue arose when Ganesan asked whether Shahrol Azral had communicated directly with Najib about the dispute between two countries over the Serdar oil field project, which was related to the RM1 billion joint venture deal.

Ganesan: Did you think it was important or enough for the sitting prime minister (Najib) to know that two different countries were fighting over ownership of the Serdar oil field?

Shahrol Azral: Yes.

The witness also admitted that he did not know whether Jho Low had informed Najib about the dispute involving the Serdar oil field project.

Ganesan: For all intents and purposes, you treated Jho Low as if he was the prime minister of Malaysia.

Shahrol Azral: I disagree

1MDB and its subsidiaries — 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited - filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021.

They named former prime minister Najib, 1MDB’s former finance director Terrence Geh Choh Heng, former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee, former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, Vincent Beng, former chief financial officer Radhi Mohamad, Kelvin Tan, and former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, as defendants.

Last week, 1MDB dropped its civil suit against Radhi, with no liberty to refile. The company had previously removed Jasmine from the case as well.

The writ of summons stated that the plaintiffs, among other things, accused the defendants of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds.

The trial before Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Redzuan Idrus resumes tomorrow. — Bernama