Najib 1mdb Trial Day 22 Jho Low A Master Manipulator Shahrol Concurs With Najib S Ex Aide

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The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged abuse of power and money laundering of 1MDB funds enters its 22nd day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings
Summary of Najib’s 1MDB ‘donation’ caseNajib is facing 25 charges of receiving RM2.28 billion, which originated from 1MDB through Tanore Finance Corp, a company owned by Eric Tan, a close associate of fugitive businessperson Jho Low
21 money laundering charges4 abuse of power chargesClick to view information on judge, prosecution and defence teamKEY HIGHLIGHTS'Jho Low a master manipulator' - Shahrol concurs with Najib's ex-aideInfo on PetroSaudi presented to board without independent verification'Jho Low said 1MDB-PetroSaudi deal was friend helping friend' Ex-1MDB CEO believed PetroSaudi was a trustworthy partner Only oral due diligence done on PetroSaudi, nothing on paper - Shahrol'Jho Low's associate told board that Saudi royal family owned PetroSaudi'Najib's ties with Saudi ruler led to 1MDB-PetroSaudi venture, court hearsPetroSaudi showed 'generosity' in joint venture, says ex-1MDB CEOShafee: Anwar received Najib's Parliament slot 'out of the blue''Jho Low a master manipulator' - Shahrol concurs with Najib's ex-aide3.35pm - Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi describes Jho Low as a conductor of an orchestra where each player does not know what the other is doing
The former 1MDB CEO says this during cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah
Shahrol is replying to Shafee's question on whether the 9th witness agrees that Low is a master manipulator, as described by Najib Abdul Razak's former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin (below), the 8th witness
"The part that is very clear to me was he (Low) was like a conductor of an orchestra, where the different players play their part without necessarily knowing what the other player is doing to produce a certain outcome," Shahrol says
The witness also agrees to a suggestion by Shafee that he was one of those in the orchestra, who played his part without knowing what the conductor (referring to Low) wanted to do
The lawyer then asks Shahrol if he believes there was a possibility that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak too did not know what Low was doing
Shafee: You would agree, Low orchestrating this. Is there a possibility the (former) PM himself wouldn't know
Shahrol: Based on what I have seen, there is definitely that possibility
Info on PetroSaudi presented to board without independent verification2.55pm - A former CEO of 1MDB tells the court that a team that prepared position paper on PetroSaudi International (PSI) had used details from information pack sent by the latter to 1MDB
Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testifies that this was done without conducting independent verification on the information
According to cross-examination on the witness by defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the position paper was then presented to 1MDB board of directors during a meeting that discussed about a proposed joint-venture between the two companies
Shahrol then agrees to a suggestion by Shafee that the presentation could give impression to 1MDB board members that the team had gotten the information by doing their own homework. 2.39pm - Proceedings resume after lunch break
12.45pm - Proceedings break for lunch and will resume at 2.30pm
'Jho Low said 1MDB-PetroSaudi deal was friend helping friend' 12.30pm - Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testifies that Jho Low (photo) told him that the 1MDB-Petro Saudi International joint venture was "a friend helping a friend"
The 9th witness tells lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah this during cross-examination, when the lawyer asks him about the deal
Shafee: Low told you this deal was a friend helping a friend
Shahrol: Low told me the deal was done on a friend helping a friend basis
Shafee: He (Low) concluded that
Shahrol: Yes
Ex-1MDB CEO believed PetroSaudi was a trustworthy partner 12.20pm - A former 1MDB CEO tells the court of reasons why the company had allowed Petrosaudi International (PSI) to appoint the asset valuer for assets that the latter would inject into their joint-venture vehicle company
Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi says that among the reasons included the fact that the joint-venture was a government-to-government (G2G) deal
Under cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, he testifies that he took PSI as a trustworthy partner then
Shafee: This asset supposed to be injected by PSI, asset to be put by PSI. You agree with me, have to take due diligence to determine the veracity and credibility of the assets and their value
Shahrol: We take it as a mandate for us to execute a G2G deal. Now my state of mind at that time was that PSI was a trustworthy partner, and when they said they represent and guarantee the value of the asset, that is good enough for us to proceed
Only oral due diligence done on PetroSaudi, nothing on paper - Shahrol12.12pm - There was only oral due diligence done on PetroSaudi International (PSI) before its joint venture with 1MDB, the court hears
Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testifies that the due diligence done on PSI was not put down on paper or even presented to the fund's board
During cross-examination, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah tells Shahrol that even in government to government deals, there is still need for due diligence
Shafee: Was there due diligence and this is encompassed on paper
Shahrol: There was no paper
Shafee: Oral due diligence
Shahrol: Yes. It was not produced to the board
Shafee: Not reproduced on paper
Shahrol: No
'Jho Low's associate told board that Saudi royal family owned PetroSaudi'11.50am - The court hears that 1MDB board of directors was informed in 2009 that PetroSaudi International (PSI) was owned by Saudi's King Abdullah and hence the Saudi royal family
According to former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, it was the company's then executive director Casey Tang who made the representation to the board during a special board meeting on Sept 18, 2009
Shahrol tells the court that the special board meeting was called with primary objective to deliberate and decide whether 1MDB should continue with its Project Aria, which is a joint-venture with PSI
The witness says he believed that Tang could have gotten the idea that PSI was owned by Saudi royal family from then PSI directors, Tarek Obaid (photo) and Patrick Mahoney
Shahrol adds that he believed that this was supported by Jho Low, and Tang had believed it as true
Under cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Shahrol testifies that he also believed what Tang had said about the ownership of PSI then
Najib's ties with Saudi ruler led to 1MDB-PetroSaudi venture, court hears10.41am - The personal relationship between then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and then Saudi ruler King Abdullah led to the formation of the 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture, the sovereign wealth fund's former CEO testifies.Ninth witness Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi says this during cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah
"I would go a step further and say that the 1MDB-PSI (Petro-Saudi International) joint venture was created by this personal relationship," Shahrol says
PetroSaudi showed 'generosity' in joint venture, says ex-1MDB CEO10.30am - The court hears that PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) had in 2009 expressed generosity in making an offer to 1MDB in their joint-venture plan
While cross-examining former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, lead defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah shows a letter signed by PSI CEO Tarek Obaid regarding the joint venture
It includes an offer by PSI to put US$2 billion worth of assets into their joint venture, but for it only to be considered as US$1.5 billion, whereby the US$500 million difference would go towards increasing 1MDB's US$1 billion share
Shahrol then agrees to a suggestion by Shafee that this was an expression of purported generosity by PSI to 1MDB
Shafee: Anwar received Najib's Parliament slot 'out of the blue'9.43am - Port Dickson MP Anwar Ibrahim had suddenly received the morning Parliament slot initially reserved for Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak yesterday, the High Court hears.Anwar IbrahimNajib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah about the matter at the start of proceedings this morning
"He (Najib) was slotted with the rest of seven BN (MPs) to speak yesterday between 11am and 12pm. His slot was initially 11.30am to 12pm
"This was (earlier) confirmed yesterday. The speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff was told in no uncertain terms the importance of it
"But out of the blue Anwar Ibrahim’s slot, which was nowhere (sic), was suddenly put in place of my client's (slot)," Shafee explains
On Monday, Shafee had applied for the next day's proceedings to begin around 2.30pm due to Najib needing to go to Parliament
However, trial proceedings had to be postponed on Tuesday as the former premier was at Parliament awaiting his turn to give a speech, which had been pushed to 3pm from the morning
As the dock remained empty yesterday, the defence counsel had explained to the court that his client's morning slot in Parliament had been given to someone else, pushing his slot to 3pm instead.Shafee will now resume his cross-examination of former 1MDB CEO and ninth witness Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi
Najib enters dock9.40am - The accused Najib Abdul Razak enters the dock as proceedings begin
9.35am -Najib enters court and takes a seat in the front row of the public gallery to await the start of proceedings.Also seen in court is his lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and other members of the defence team, as well as lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram and other members of the prosecution team.Najib's trial set to resume after one-day postponement The 22nd day of Najib Abdul Razak's RM2.28 billion 1MDB trial is set to resume this morning following its postponement yesterday afternoon
Yesterday, at around 2.30pm, proceedings before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah had to be postponed due to the absence of the former prime minister
It turned out that Najib was at Parliament awaiting for his turn to give a speech, which had been pushed to 3pm instead of in the morning
Two days ago on Monday, the accused's lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had applied for yesterday's proceedings to begin around 2.30pm due to Najib needing to go to Parliament
Muhammad Shafee AbdullahThe former prime minister and current MP for Pekan wanted to be in the Dewan Rakyat to debate the recently unveiled Budget 2020
As the dock remained empty yesterday, Shafee explained to the court that his client's morning slot in Parliament had been given to someone else, pushing his slot to 3pm instead
Sequerah sternly warned that it should be the last time such last-minute postponements happen and Shafee gave his undertaking that Najib would attend today's proceedings, adding that the accused felt bad about being absent

When the trial resumes around 9.30am this morning, Shafee is expected to resume his cross-examination of the ninth prosecution witness, former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi. - Mkini

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