Ex-secretary says appointed by 1MDB board, not Jho Low

A former company secretary of 1MDB told the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday that his appointment was made upon the approval of the board of directors and not by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.

Lim Poh Seng, 51, said his appointment was not made by any individual person but collectively by the board.

The 18th prosecution witness however admitted that he had known Jho Low before joining the sovereign wealth fund.

“Jho Low approached me to render some corporate services work to some companies he recommended. However, I can’t recall which year it happened. I can’t recall what were the companies that he recommended,” Lim said.

He said this during cross-examination by Najib Razak’s lawyer, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, at the trial of the former prime minister for charges of embezzling 1MDB funds worth RM2.3 billion.

Wan Aizuddin: But you can recall that Jho Low approached you and that he recommended you to provide some services to some companies?

Lim: Yes.

Wan Aizuddin: Was this engagement by Jho Low before or after your services with Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA)?

Lim: It would have been before TIA (TIA was later renamed as 1MDB).

Earlier, when reading out his witness statement, Lim said he had attended several meetings of the TIA Steering Coordination Committee (TIASCC) as a meeting minute recorder upon the request of Jho Low.

“Jho Low organised and conducted those TIASCC meetings that I attended,” he said.

Wan Aizuddin then asked the Lim whether Jho Low was the one who asked him to be the company secretary after the TIASCC meetings, to which Lim said: “No.”

Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Tuesday.