KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho’s presence at a special 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) board meeting in 2009 was at the invitation by the company’s management, the High Court heard.
Former 1MDB non-executive director Tan Sri Ismee Ismail testified during cross-examination that Low, better known as Jho Low (pic), could have been invited by former CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi or former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee to the confidential meeting at the Royale Bintang Damansara on Sept 26, 2009.
Ismee said he attended the meeting chaired by former chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh.
Others in attendance were former directors Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Azlan Zainol as well as Shahrol Azral and Tang.
The witness agreed with lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who represented Datuk Seri Najib Razak, that there were no questions raised nor were there any records of Low’s presence at the meeting.
Ismee, who was referred to the meeting minutes, said he had thought Low’s presence was to brief the board of directors.
“I recall before the start of the meeting, we (the board) did talk about it (Low’s presence),” he said.
“From my perspective, he was there to enlighten the board on a proposed joint venture (JV) with PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI).”
Muhammad Shafee: Jho Low did not seem to have uttered a single word throughout the meeting because otherwise his explanation would have been recorded in this minute.
Ismee: Yes.
On a US$1bil JV between 1MDB and PSI, Ismee said he was under the impression that Najib wanted the board to proceed with the deal.
According to the witness, Mohd Bakke had told the directors he had spoken to Najib on the phone before the Sept 26, 2009, meeting.
“What I can recall was that Mohd Bakke told us that ‘PM wants us to do this thing (the JV)’,” Ismee said.
Muhammad Shafee: Mohd Bakke should be the one who knows what was said because he was on the phone, right?
Ismee: Yes.
The lawyer said Mohd Bakke had claimed Najib told him that the board “should not be looking at the past and to focus on the PSI proposal” as discussions have been going on for some time.
Muhammad Shafee: (reading as Najib) “I would like the BOD (board of directors) to consider the proposal and firm up the decision. This is an important G2G (government-to-government). I’m looking forward to signing the project”.
Ismee: Basically, the board has to firm up.
Muhammad Shafee: My question is, is this more or less what Mohd Bakke said to the board?
Ismee said Mohd Bakke had said it along those lines.
When Muhammad Shafee continued to press him on what Mohd Bakke had actually told the board in contrast to his phone conversation with Najib, Ismee answered: “Only Mohd Bakke can answer this. I’m not in the position.”
Last week, at a different High Court where Najib is standing trial for allegedly tampering with the 1MDB audit report, Mohd Bakke testified that Najib told him via a phone call not to spend too much time looking at past transactions and to just focus on a proposed JV between 1MDB and PSI.
Najib, 69, is on trial for 25 charges – four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of RM2.28bil and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.