Elusive 1MDB mastermind was the ‘dealrainman’ with extraordinary powers

Elusive financier Low Taek Jho used random email addresses but one constant email address [email protected] was often used, and perhaps it shows how lucrative the 1MDB deals were.

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today (Sept 3) heard that Low, or Jho Low, used the email to set his appointments with former Malaysian PM Najib Razak’s then special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin and principal private secretary, the late Seri Azlin Alias.

Azlin was Najib’s principal private secretary who died in a helicopter crash on April 4,2015.

“I confirm that the one email address he often used to fix our appointments and to send documents was [email protected],” the witness, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin said.

Amhari was testifying on the third day of the 1MDB trial.

The witness said it was also common for Azlin to refer to Jho Low’s emails by saying “dealrainman”.

He said after the 1MDB scandal became public, Jho Low, a man with very special powers, locked the documents (attachments) sent to Najib’s men and would send the passwords through Blackberry Messenger.

Amhari also said Jho Low was a charismatic man with “extraordinary powers”, who could give out orders to officials at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) despite having no official appointment.

He told the court Jho Low, would give him and Azlin Alias orders in carrying out instructions from Najib.

“Even though he was a young man, I saw him having charisma and kuasa luar biasa,” the witness said.

Amhari said individuals known to Jho Low at the PMO would carry out his instructions.
He said this was Jho Low was the special advisor (penasihat khas) or unofficial advisor (without a formal appointment) to Najib in behind-the-scenes special functions that outsiders did not know.

It included a lot of things such as international programmes, work visits, policy and business suggestions, charity works and 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), he said.

Only Najib And Jho Low

The witness also said only Najib and financier Jho Low had the “full picture” of manoeuvrings in relation to 1MDB at the time.

He said all the while (during the period dealing with 1MDB) he found that Jho Low was manipulative when dealing with officers of various levels and ranks. This include those from Malaysia and overseas, most of which was known to Najib.

“Therefore, only Low and Najib have the fullest picture on the manoeuvrings they were planning. Low was a master manipulator and in this situation, I can now say that I was used for insincere purposes,” Amhari told the court. -/TISG