Ex-1MDB CFO: I don't know why I was not charged

KUALA LUMPUR: A former chief financial officer in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial told the High Court that he did not know why he was not charged in court over the scandal involving the sovereign wealth fund.

Azmi Tahir said this during cross-examination on Wednesday (Jan 5) by lawyer Datuk Hariharan Tara Singh, who was representing Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Hariharan posed the question to the witness that the latter had not been charged despite other people from the company being charged for various offences relating to the scandal, including his deputy CFO Terence Geh

Hariharan: Do you agree there are no criminal charges leveled against you?

Azmi: As far as I know, no.

Hariharan: You agree, you were the co-signatory as well as a director of a subsidiary (of 1MDB), you were in charge of releasing the funds yet there are no criminal charges against you.

Azmi: I don't know why there is no criminal charge (against me).

Hariharan: But your deputy was charged.

Azmi: I don't know the specifics of the charge.

The witness also said that he did not know the details of the prosecution against the company's former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, who was charged with money laundering involving USD5.99mil.

Hariharan: You confirm she was a former legal counsel for 1MDB and worked under you?

Azmi: She was the former general counsel but she didn't work under me. We work (together) whenever it is necessary.

Hariharan: Are you aware that Low Taek Jho was also charged?

Azmi: I heard in general that he was charged.

In 2018, fugitive businessman Low, or better known as Jho Low, was charged multiple times in absentia in relation to 1MDB.

Geh and Loo, who are still at large, had been charged with several offences, also relating to 1MDB.

Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.28bil from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The hearing continues this afternoon before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.