Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak admitted at the High Court today that he was aware of Jho Low’s highly publicised, ostentatious lifestyle but never verified the fugitive businessman’s claim that the purchases he made on multi-million properties and expensive artworks were on behalf of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the brother of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, testifying as the first defence witness in his trial for allegedly misappropriating RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the former prime minister acknowledged being aware of Jho Low’s reputation at the time, as stories about his extravagant spending on properties and paintings were circulating.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam referred Najib to an article published by an online portal, which reported that Jho Low, or his real name Low Taek Jho, had coveted real estate, including condominiums, penthouses and mansions in the United States, Singapore and France, as well as artworks by Andy Warhol and Claude Monet.

During cross-examination by Mohamad Mustaffa, the 71-year-old former prime minister said he was not comfortable with Jho Low’s lifestyle and confronted him about it. Najib stated, ‘I confronted him (Jho Low) about this, and he kept repeating that he was doing it for Sheikh Mansour. I was not comfortable with his ostentatious lifestyle. This was his explanation to me and he repeated to me several times that the purchases were meant for Sheikh Mansour.’

The DPP then suggested that Najib, who was the prime minister at the time, could have investigated the truth of Jho Low’s claims regarding Sheikh Mansour. Najib responded that investigating the claim would have meant engaging with other foreign governments, as Sheikh Mansour was the brother of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.

Mohamad Mustaffa suggested that Najib could have investigated but chose not to, implying that Najib was turning a blind eye. Najib disagreed, stating, ‘I was uncomfortable with the news report, that’s why I confronted him.’ He further denied that he avoided investigating because Jho Low was working on his behalf, asserting that he only utilized Jho Low for his international connections.

During the trial, it was revealed that Najib first met Jho Low in 2007, facilitated by his stepson Riza Aziz, who was friends with Jho Low’s brother. Najib agreed with the suggestion that Jho Low was frequently seen at his residence, attributing it to Jho Low’s relationship with Riza.

Earlier, a voice recording of Najib and a man believed to be Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak was played in court. Mohamad Mustaffa questioned Najib about instructions to his former special officer to address issues concerning Riza and delay arbitration between 1MDB and International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC). Najib denied these claims, stating they were separate issues.

Najib also denied receiving any text messages from former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh about concerns over 1MDB’s joint venture with PetroSaudi, noting Mohd Bakke’s resignation as chairman was a protest against suspected irregularities.

On October 30 of the previous year, Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered Najib to enter his defence, ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case. Najib faces 25 charges, including using his position to receive RM2.3 billion in bribes and money laundering involving the same amount. The trial continues tomorrow.