PUTRAJAYA: The former chairman of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has dismissed claims that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho held influence over the company’s board of directors.
Testifying at the High Court, Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin said he was unaware of any role played by Low, also known as Jho Low, in influencing decisions on joint ventures, investments or bond issuances in the company.
“No, I was not aware nor did anyone in management ever tell me he had such an influence.
“The board made decisions based on representations made by management and various consultants such as Goldman Sachs, Wong & Partners and Lazard, to name a few.
“Jho Low had no role or authority in 1MDB,” the witness said.
Che Lodin was under examination-in-chief by Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin in the RM2.28bil 1MDB graft trial involving Datuk Seri Najib Razak here yesterday.
He also stated that no one else in the company acted in a manner that appeared to influence or direct him or the rest of the board during his tenure as a director from 2009 to 2016.
Wan Azwan: Was it ever intimated to you that Jho Low was supposedly a proxy for Datuk Seri Najib?
Che Lodin: No.
The court had previously heard from other witnesses, including former chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and former general counsel Jasmine Loo, that Low was seen as Najib’s proxy and often used his influence as someone close to the former prime minister.
Che Lodin said he did not know of Low when he was first appointed as a director of the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), 1MDB’s earlier entity, on Aug 11, 2009.
This is despite claims that Low was heavily involved in the setting up of TIA, as testified by other witnesses in the trial.
Wan Azwan: Are you aware that Jho Low held the position of Special Advisor to (Terengganu Sultan) Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin during the initial stages of TIA?
Che Lodin: I was not aware.
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.
