KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the High Court today that he believed fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low’s information about the proposed US$2.5 billion joint venture (JV) signing ceremony between the company and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) as there had been early communication with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in 2009.

The 56-year-old, who is testifying as the fourth plaintiff witness in the US$5.64 billion suit filed by 1MDB and its four subsidiaries, said that, if he recalled correctly, there had been initial communication with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s then special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin during the early preparations for the proposed ceremony.

He said the communication gave him reason to believe that the proposed ceremony would take place. However, Shahrol Azral acknowledged that he did not pursue the matter further and had no documentation confirming that the ceremony was to take place.

He said this during cross-examination by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who represents Najib, the first defendant in the suit.

Muhammad Shafee: Amhari is one other interesting witness, less colourful than you, but still colourful. You agree, Amhari, one of those confirmed receiving money from Jho Low?

Shahrol Azral: I don’t have knowledge on that.

Muhammad Shafee: All this information about the signing ceremony came from Jho Low?

Shahrol Azral: Yes.

Muhammad Shafee: And you took it as true?

Shahrol Azral: Yes.

Previously, in the 1MDB’s criminal trial involving Najib, the court was told that the signing ceremony never happened, despite it being the reason the deal was hastily done in the first place.

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 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, former 1MDB investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jin, and former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, as defendants.

Recently, 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 (JC) Mohamad Redzuan Idrus continues on March 15 next year. — Bernama