KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor telephoned fugitive financier Low Taek Jho frequently and often hosted him at private events at her and Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s family home here, the High Court was told today.
Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, a former special officer to Najib, told the latter’s main 1MDB corruption trial today that these occurrences led him to conclude that Low or Jho Low was a confidante to the wife of the former prime minister.
Lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah earlier asked Amhari why he considered Low to have a close relationship to Rosmah.
Aside from the telephone calls, the former aide also testified to witnessing direct conversations between Low and Rosmah.
Shafee: Did you attend any meetings that you witness this sense of closeness
Amhari: There were some functions and meet-ups; Jho Low was there while I was in another section of the house.
Shafee: Was this their Number 11 house (in Langgak Duta)?
Amhari: Yes
Shafee: So what transpired that you conclude that they were close?
Amhari: Some of these functions, if I can generalise, are private functions organised by Datuk Seri (Najib) and Datin Seri (Rosmah). Jho Low was invited as well and they were very very exclusive.
Amhari then explained how Low would ask him and Azlin to be quiet when he was on the phone with Rosmah.
Shafee: Do you know the nature of the phone call?
Amhari: I don’t. I respect the nature of the phone call
Shafee: But you said you heard the voice
Amhari: It was very loud.
Shafee: So the nature of the call, you were not aware?
Amhari: Jho Low said Datin Seri [Rosmah] called, don’t talk, just be quiet.
In Amhari’s earlier statement, he had testified that Low had shared a close relationship with Najib and his families and is often seen coming in and out of their house in Jalan Langgak Duta.
Amahri also said that Low was an “unofficial” advisor to Najib and had helped him with political and economic related matters while he was the prime minister.
