Najib S Lawyer Jho Low Is The Central Figure Not Mere Introducer

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Added comments by Shafee on companies' board of directors failing to function. Former premier Najib Abdul Razak's lawyer today rubbished a statement by fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho where the latter claimed that he was merely playing the role of an introducer in the 1MDB scandal
According to Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Low was not telling the truth in his email interview with Singapore-based Straits Times, which was published by the media agency this morning
The counsel said Low, who is better known as Jho Low, had "conveniently forgotten" to speak about misleading senior management of 1MDB and SRC International

"I think he is the central figure who organised everything else around him including the financial institution, including the financial people like the bankers and all his cronies who are his accomplices
"They are in 1MDB, SRC and also overseas. But he is the central figure
"If he tries to minimise his role, he is not telling the truth," Shafee told reporters after the conclusion of today's SRC International proceeding at the Kuala Lumpur High Court
The lead defence counsel for Najib was responding to ST's article, which carried Jho Low's statement in his defence against the 1MDB scandal
Low had told ST that, among others, he was only made a target to shift the blame away from others who played far bigger roles in the scandal
"Jho Low conveniently forgot to tell us that he actually misled the senior management, some of the senior management worked with Jho Low, in fact, (they were) accomplices of Jho Low. He misled the SRC board (of directors), and he misled the 1MDB company
"So he is the number one central culprit. If I can say, he is the number one crook," Shafee added
However, the lawyer stated that he would agree with Jho Low on a small part of the latter's statement - that the management and board of directors of the companies had failed to function.

Shafee said the companies' management members and directors had "totally collapsed".

"What happened to the entire board of directors of 1MDB and SRC (is that) they totally collapsed. The senior management cheated the board, and the board said they were not responsible as the shareholders called the shots.

"That is turning the company laws upside down. But that is as far as I can agree with Jho Low."

In the report by ST, Low maintained that he never held a decision-making role in the two companies, and pointed out that 1MDB and SRC International's management, board of directors and shareholders were obliged to have conducted due diligence to all proposals and had the right to reject them.

“The idea that I am some kind of ‘mastermind’ is just wrong. I never held any decision-making position at 1MDB or SRC," he reportedly said.

Malaysiakini also tried to get a response from Najib over Jho Low's statement, but the politician declined to comment when approached after today's SRC International case hearing at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

"I have not read (the report)," Najib said.

"Besides, the case is ongoing in court now," he added, while walking away with his entourage
- Mkini

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