PUTRAJAYA: Nothing “sinister” took place in a meeting between 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and Goldman Sachs in November 2009, a witness told the High Court here.
Former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin testified that he was present when former prime minister and 1MDB chairman of board of advisers, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had a meeting with then chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein.
He said several other Goldman Sachs executives at that time, including Tim Leissner, were also present at the meeting that took place in Najib’s suite at the Four Seasons Hotel, New York, during his official visit to the United States in November 2009.
The 12th defence witness said he had gone to New York at the request of former 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi to join Najib’s delegation to meet foreign investors.
Che Lodin, under examination-in-chief by Najib’s lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin in the RM2.28bil 1MDB graft trial yesterday, said apart from Shahrol, fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, were also present at the suite.
However, Low was in another room and did not participate in the discussion.
Wan Azwan: Was Najib’s meeting with Goldman Sachs unusual or sinister, given that 1MDB was already an existing Goldman Sachs client?
Che Lodin: No. The meeting was neither unusual nor sinister from my understanding. It was part of a broader effort to engage foreign investors and promote Malaysia as an investment destination.
The witness said Najib did not give any directives to the board or the management following the “casual meeting”.
Wan Azwan: Was there any indication that Datuk Seri Najib committed 1MDB to exclusively use Goldman Sachs for future deals during that meeting?
Che Lodin: No.
Wan Azwan: Did Datuk Seri Najib ever instruct the board to approve specific Goldman Sachs deals, including 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy Langat Ltd and 1MDB Global Investment Ltd?
Che Lodin: No.
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 before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.
