Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court September 4, 2019, where he is to take the stand as a witness in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho sent hundreds of emails to Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s then special officers with instructions on how to handle news of the alleged misappropriation at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the High Court heard today.

Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, previously a special officer to the former prime minister, testified in Najib’s main 1MDB corruption trial today that among these emails sent in 2015 and 2016 were ones to explicitly deny that Low was in any way linked to 1MDB.

“This document shows that Jho Low prepared answers to questions surrounding his involvement within 1MDB,” he said referring to one of the emails he received from Low in early 2015 and tendered in court as evidence.

“In this document, in paragraph seven, it stresses how Jho Low played no role in 1MDB, even though he happens to be the main planner concerning confidential 1MDB dealings,” he read from his witness statement.

“In paragraph eight it shows scripted answers that stressed on how 1MDB was a successful project.

“These answers would also then shift the accusations and allegations that were brought against Datuk Seri Najib concerning problems within 1MDB away from him,” said Amhari.

The same email, Amhari said, also contained scripted responses on topics such as 1MDB’s ability to repay its loans, why these were dollar-denominated, why the Malaysian firm was keeping funds in the Cayman Islands, and how its activities were meant to benefit the country.

Other major issues addressed were Low’s involvement or lack thereof and his personal background.

Amhari said further emails also coached him and his former boss, the late Datuk Azlin Alias, on Low’s preferred narrative for 1MDB and apprised them on related developments.

Among the talking points in the emails were explanations for the US$6 billion loan that 1MDB had sought together with Aabar Investment PJS, the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund, as well as strategies to stuff the 1MDB board with high-ranking government officials.

“This document contains forecasted questions or queries that could be asked by the media or other parties concerning issues related to 1MDB.

“In this document, the forecasted questions included queries concerning true amount of the debt 1MDB were liable for which was guaranteed by the government, the difference between a Letter of Support and a Government Guarantee, the status of funds invested by Brazen Sky Limited, the issue of the RM2 billion repayment to Maybank and why 1MDB had not settled this arrears, and concerning its IPO (Initial Public Offering),” said Amhari.

Yet other emails included proposed rationalisation plans for 1MDB’s debt that suggested selling off the state investment firms assets and shifting its liabilities.

“For example, for the Bandar Malaysia project, his (Low) proposal was for Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd to be transferred to a new company called Sg Besi Development Sdn Bhd, which was a company that would be formed to acquire Bandar Malaysia,” he said when explaining one of the emails.

He later explained that he was confident such emails and documents had originated and were sent by Low himself as the corresponding email address [email protected] was not the official email address, and by the sentence structure and grammar within the documents.

“For example, ‘please brief boss’, when I know for a fact that only those who shared a close personal relationship would refer to Datuk Seri Najib as the ‘boss’.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives for his 1MDB trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court September 4, 2019. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

“Besides that, whenever I communicated with Jho Low concerning this matter, he was able to explain things smoothly with fluency, same as what was stated in these documents,” he said.

Amhari included that Low would always notify him through Blackberry Messenger after sending him an email for him to refer and to confirm receiving the email.

“Passwords and the email address which I used to receive these emails were also given to me by Jho Low,” he said.

In this trial, Najib is facing four counts of abusing his position for his own financial benefit totalling almost RM2.3 billion from the sovereign investment fund and the resulting 21 counts of money-laundering.

The trial resumes tomorrow morning before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.