Ex-1MDB CEO says he did not treat Jho Low like he was the Prime Minister
Shahrol rejected the suggestion that he regarded Jho Low and the Prime Minister as equivalent This article ( Ex-1MDB CEO says he did not treat Jho Low like he was the Prime Minister ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .
On August 18, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, the former CEO of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), testified at the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he did not treat Jho Low Taek Jho as if he were the Malaysian Prime Minister. Jho Low, a fugitive businessman also known as Low Taek Jho, is a central figure in the 1MDB scandal, which saw around S$6 billion siphoned from the company, partly funding his lavish lifestyle and associates’.
Shahrol Azral confirmed that he and former Prime Minister Najib Razak communicated through Low and other informal channels. However, he denied knowing if Low had informed Najib about a dispute between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan over the Serdar oil field linked to a RM1 billion joint venture between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International.
During cross-examination, a lawyer questioned Shahrol Azral, saying, "For all intents and purposes, you treated Jho Low as if he were the prime minister of Malaysia." Shahrol Azral disagreed, saying that Low was not officially designated within 1MDB and was often present at meetings with Najib at his residence. Former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman alleged that Low would instruct actions tantamount to those of the Prime Minister, causing confusion between Low and Najib.
Shahrol Azral contended that Low and other senior management officials like Terence Geh and Jasmine Loo were ultimately loyal to Low, and he considered them "the people of Jho Low, and Jho Low basically is the prime minister."
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