KUALA LUMPUR – Loo Ai Swan, also known as Jasmine Loo, the former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) general counsel, is expected to testify in court today.
It was reported that Loo will take the stand after Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Nur Aida Arifin completes her testimony.
She was arrested by the police in July last year to assist in the investigation. On September 4, police seized assets allegedly linked to the 1MDB scandal, totalling almost RM93.2 million acquired under her name.
Loo, said to be one of the proxies for fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, is anticipated to serve as the final crucial prosecution witness against her ex-boss, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, at the high court.
Loo was cited numerous times during Najib’s ongoing corruption trial, in which he is accused of allegedly misappropriating RM2.3 billion from 1MDB.
She was also identified as one of the proxies working with Low to misappropriate millions of ringgit from the sovereign state fund.
According to the Sarawak Report, Loo’s pivotal role in the heist from the development fund was initially exposed in March 2015.
At that time, it highlighted the dual roles undertaken by the young lawyer, Loo – serving as in-house counsel to Sarawak’s UBG Bank (where Jho Low acquired a 49% stake in 2008) while simultaneously holding the positions of in-house counsel and “executive director of group strategy” at 1MDB.
Former prime minister Najib is currently facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount. – February 13, 2024