PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Razak was never 'duped' by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal, as his actions show otherwise, the High Court heard.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam said the former prime minister had, in fact, entrenched Low in both his personal and official dealings, including Low arranging Najib’s private holidays while also managing 1MDB’s financial matters.
"This was no coincidence; it reflects the accused’s reliance, sanction and trust in Jho Low.
"The only reasonable inference is that Jho Low functioned as the accused’s conduit, proxy and indispensable facilitator in the affairs of 1MDB," DPP Mohamad Mustaffa said in his submissions on Thursday (Oct 30).
Low, who remains at large, has been involved since the beginning of 1MDB’s establishment. Najib’s defence had singled him out as the real "mastermind" behind the scandal.
DPP Mohamad Mustaffa said no action had been taken against Low but, at the height of the fiasco, the Attorney General was removed from office.
"So can the accused now claim he was duped by Jho Low? The answer is no," he said.
The defence of being conned by Low was also rejected by the presiding judge in Najib’s RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd graft trial, as the narrative was found untenable in light of the evidence, the prosecution said.
DPP Mohamad Mustaffa further submitted that the management of 1MDB was "a mess" and this was intentional.
"If everything was run tightly according to corporate standard, we wouldn’t be here.
"Funds wouldn’t flow elsewhere and wouldn’t end up in the accused’s Ambank account," he added.
Najib faces 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 abuse of power offences were allegedly committed at an AmIslamic Bank Bhd branch, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.
Meanwhile, the money laundering offences were allegedly committed at the same location between March 22 and Aug 30, 2013.
Najib is currently serving his prison sentence since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted in a separate criminal trial over the misappropriation of RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
