1MDB ex-CEO says he took Jho Low’s word on Petrosaudi deal

On August 27, former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testified in a lawsuit filed by 1MDB and its subsidiaries against Najib Razak and others, stating that he believed fugitive businessman Jho Low's claim about a proposed US$2.5 billion joint venture signing ceremony between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International Ltd. Shahrol Azral mentioned that there had been early communication with the Prime Minister's Office in 2009, involving former Prime Minister Najib Razak's special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.

He acknowledged he did not pursue the matter further, lacking documentation to confirm the ceremony's occurrence. During cross-examination, Shanrol Azral agreed that the information about the signing ceremony came from Jho Low and that he took it as true.