No business talk, witness tells court on lunch at 5-star hotel attended by Jho Low

A witness told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low attended a luncheon at a five-star hotel with a few bankers and Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) representatives, 13 years ago.

Former AmInvestment Bank managing director Kok Tuck Cheong, 67, said he was also introduced to Jho Low by AmBank's director of relationship banking, Chan Wan Seong, during the luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 2009.

"There were about five or seven other people around. There was never any formal introduction," he said, adding that Jho Low did not say much.

The 40th prosecution witness said this during cross-examination by Najib Razak’s lead counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, at the former prime minister's corruption and money laundering trial on RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB.

When Shafee asked if only members of the bank were present, Kok replied that there were also some members of TIA present. TIA was later renamed as 1MDB.
 
When asked if former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi was there, the witness said no.

Shafee: This luncheon had to do with the issuance of the Islamic medium-term notes (IMTN) (for TIA)? 

Kok: You know, there were no serious business discussions… it was just a casual lunch.

The witness also said that he did not remember who paid the bill for the luncheon. 

"Could be the bank or the other side (TIA), but certainly not me," he added.

To another question on whether he knew that Jho Low at one time was regarded as adviser of TIA, Kok said his name had surfaced but that there was never a concrete statement of fact. 

Shafee: Officially he was on board as TIA adviser?

Kok: Not when I met him.

Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.