KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Joanna Yu as we speak agreed that as a banker, she had an in depth working relationship with businessman Low Taek Jho, who’s now a fugitive and a needed man in Malaysia over his position within the 1Malaysia Improvement Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
Yu is a former AmBank banker now working in gross sales and had beforehand dealt with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s private financial institution accounts as relationship supervisor for AmBank’s shoppers.
She was testifying because the forty first prosecution witness in Najib’s trial over the misappropriation of 1MDB’s RM2.28 billion, which was stated to have entered the latter’s private financial institution accounts.
Requested by Najib’s lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Yu confirmed her beforehand shut relationship with Low, following her financial institution’s dealing with of banking issues for firms wherein Low was concerned in.
Shafee: You developed an in depth relationship with Jho Low?
Yu: Sure.
Shafee: As a banker?
Yu: Sure.
Shafee: As a good friend?
Yu: Sure.
Yu stated she was launched by her superior at AmBank to Low for a banking matter in 2007, and that the primary she obtained to know Low was throughout a gathering on the latter’s firm Wynton’s workplace on the Petronas Twin Towers, in relation to a mortgage by Majestic Masterpiece Sdn Bhd.
At the moment, Majestic Masterpiece — owned by Wynton Personal Fairness Group and Abu Dhabi Kuwait Malaysia Funding Company (Adkmic) — needed to take over the shares of Loh & Loh Company Berhad and Putrajaya Perdana Berhad.
Requested by Shafee, Yu confirmed that she turned near Low over time whereas she was at AmBank, and had numerous conferences with Low the place he would generally invite her to satisfy at his condo at Kia Peng.
Shafee: Now this occurred over a time frame and also you obtained to be nearer to him when it comes to, I am not suggesting an inappropriate relationship, I am simply suggesting you turned near him.
Yu: Sure.
Shafee instructed that the condo additionally doubles up as Low’s workplace, however Yu stated she was not sure.
Yu stated the conferences at Low’s condo had been primarily in regards to the Majestic Masterpiece mortgage and confirmed that Low had a behavior of calling bankers over to his condo as an alternative of going to the financial institution.
Yu stated such conferences at Low’s condo could be throughout weekends when the latter was on the town and would ask to satisfy on the condo, agreeing that this was a part of her duties as a relationship supervisor at AmBank and that there have been at all times different people current at these conferences.
“There have been at all times different folks,” she stated, itemizing the people current on the condo as together with Casey Tang, Tan Vern Tact, Kee Kok Thiam, Jasmine Lavatory, and Jerome Lee.
Yu stated Low had a behavior of calling bankers over to his condo as an alternative of going to the financial institution. — Image through Fb
Requested by Shafee if she was now conscious that Low is a criminal, Yu confirmed this.
Shafee: Right now you’re conscious that he’s a criminal? Right now you’re conscious, by world requirements, the entire world is aware of he’s a criminal?
Yu: I imagine so.
Requested by Shafee, Yu confirmed she didn’t go to Brazil to observe soccer matches.
“I’ve not been to Brazil,” Yu stated.
Shafee: You’re conscious Jho Low took a workforce of individuals to go to Brazil to observe World Cup, soccer?
Yu: Solely what I learn in newspaper.
Najib’s 1MDB trial earlier than Excessive Courtroom choose Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes subsequent Monday, the place Shafee is predicted to additional cross-examine Yu.
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