KUALA LUMPUR — The alleged 1MDB mastermind and fugitive Jho Low whose real name is Low Taek Jho was at the former Malaysian Prime Minister’s house in mid-January 2011 and met with a banker who provided bank account and credit card opening forms Najib Razak.
The banker, a former AmBank group managing director Cheah Tek Kuang told the High Court when reading out his witness statement during Najib’s SRC International Sdn Bhd trial on Wednesday he met the fugitive businessman at Najib’s house in Jalan Langgak Duta.
He told the court that after arriving he was taken into the residence by Jho Low who then introduced me to Datuk Seri Najib, and Jho Low also informed him that I was from AmBank. Datuk Seri Najib and I proceeded to the guest room while I saw Jho Low waiting at a different part of the residence.
He was ushered in a car that brought him to Najib’s house with the purpose to hand over the documents for the opening the bank accounts.
He says once he arrived at the house, he met with Jho Low whom he had met previously. He told the court he will be able to recognise Jho Low if a picture of the fugitive was brought to him.
Earlier he had said AmBank began its involvement with 1MDB in 2009 when it became a corporate client of AmBank and he says he only began to be personally involved with the private bank accounts of Najib during the end of 2010.
“I explained the procedures of opening bank accounts with AmBank to Datuk Seri Najib and he also mentioned that the opening of the said accounts must follow the rules and regulations of the bank, and I am obligated to inform the Central Bank of Malaysia on the opening of the said accounts because Datuk Seri Najib is a politically-exposed person,” he says.
Cheah says a few days later he met with Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank) Governor Tan Sri Zeti Aziz in her office where he informed her of the opening of the said accounts with AmBank by Najib.
“Tan Sri Zeti informed me that she has no objections for AmBank to do so but reminded that the opening of the said accounts is to be made following the banking rules and regulations.”
Cheah also said two credit cards were approved under the name of Datuk Seri Mohd Najib, which are Visa Platinum card number 4585818000005496 and MasterCard Platinum card number 5289438000038961.
After he completed reading out his witness statement, Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim asked him whether he can recognise Najib, Cheah looked at Najib who was sitting in the dock and replied, “Yes”
Najib, 66, is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust, one count of abusing his position and three counts of money laundering involving SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million, Bernama says.