PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has told the High Court that he had previously confronted Low Taek Jho over the businessman’s widely reported lavish lifestyle.
The former prime minister testified that he was aware of Low’s reputation at that time as there were stories circulating about Low’s excessive spending including on properties and paintings.
Media reports had indicated that Low, better known as Jho Low, had splurged on a penthouse in New York, a mansion in Beverly Hills, and artworks by Monet and Andy Warhol, among others.
Najib said he was not comfortable with Low’s “ostentatious lifestyle” and confronted him over the matter.
“He (Low) kept saying that he was doing this (purchases) for Sheikh Mansour (bin Zayed Al Nahyan).
“That was his explanation to me,” Najib said during cross-examination at the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial here yesterday.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam suggested that Najib, who was at the “apex authority” level, could have investigated the veracity of Low’s claims.
Najib responded that such an investigation would involve a different government as Sheikh Mansour was the brother to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
The former premier disagreed with the suggestion that he purposely did not want to know the truth about Low.
DPP Mohamad Mustaffa: You were shutting your eyes because you did not want to know the obvious.
Najib: I disagree. That’s why I confronted him.
Najib was also irked when 1MDB was referred to as his “baby”.
“I am not responsible for the establishment of 1MDB.
“Please don’t refer to 1MDB as ‘my baby’. It came from Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA),” he said to DPP Mohamad Mustaffa who made the remark.
Najib repeatedly told the prosecutor not to make such a reference.
DPP Mohamad Mustaffa: But 1Malaysia is your brand.
Najib: Yes, but the genesis of 1MDB is not that. You’re making certain innuendos with that statement. I cannot accept that.
DPP Mohamad Mustaffa: I leave it to submissions.
On Oct 30 last year, Najib was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on four counts of using his position to obtain RM2.28bil gratification from 1MDB’s funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.
