KUALA LUMPUR – An investigating officer in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s case involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds told the high court today that the wealth fund’s former general attorney Jasmine Loo Ai Swan would be a vital witness to unveil all the issues in relation to Tanore Finance Corp.
Tanore is an entity which had transferred US$681 million (RM3.19 billion) into Najib’s personal bank account and was said to be controlled by Eric Tan Kim Loong, an associate of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.
Foo Wei Min, who is assistant director of the police force’s anti-money laundering criminal investigation division, agreed to the suggestion by Najib’s counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah that Loo’s testimony could either “put a nail in Najib’s coffin” or acquit him in terms of the issues relating to Tanore’s operations.
Foo said he obtained this information from Loo during interrogation after the 49-year-old woman surrendered herself to police on July 7, but Foo stressed that he was only investigating Loo on the 1MDB asset recovery issue.
Shafee then asked the prosecution witness whether he knew that Loo was in contact with Jho Low pertaining to Tanore.
Foo said Loo was always in contact with Jho Low over the five years since he absconded but Loo said it was never to discuss Tanore.
Shafee: Are you aware that Loo met Jho Low not so long ago… with some other 1MDB previous officers? Azmi Tahir (former 1MDB chief financial officer and the 12th prosecution witness) was there.
Foo: From the statement she gave, she met Jho Low in China in 2019 and with her were some other 1MDB officials.
Shafee: You know Loo and Jho Low are as thick as thieves. They were very close.
Foo: From what I know Loo was the personal assistant to Jho Low. Wherever he went, he would call Loo and she would be the one who arranged meetings for Jho Low.
Earlier, Shafee asked Foo about the four letters from Saudi royalty regarding the donation that was promised to Najib.
The lawyer said Foo as an investigating officer for the case must have seen the four letters with the dates of when the money was going to be sent and how it was going to be sent, namely through Blackrock Commodities and Tanore.
Foo said he confirmed the money came from the Saudi royalty but could not determine if it really was a donation.
Shafee: Did you investigate the genuineness of the letters?
Foo: I tried to investigate and contact the Arab royals through mutual legal assistance by the police but to no avail. There was no response, and they were not willing to cooperate with us.
Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on December 5. – November 16, 2023