Nazir voiced concern that Najib was being misled by Jho Low, 1MDB management - Tong
21 Nov 2022 07:13pm
Nazir Razak - Photo: Sinar Archive
The chairman of The Edge Media Group Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong, 63, said he was approached by Nazir in 2009 and 2010, where the latter told him that he was concerned that Najib was being hoodwinked into transactions involving the sovereign wealth fund.
He also agreed with Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s suggestion that based on all the investigative work he and his expert team had done using all the documentation they acquired, it was his (Tong) own conclusion that Jho Low and 1MDB management had misled Najib.
"Actually, the whole basis of me getting involved at the request of Nazir was because we both thought that the then Prime Minister of Malaysia was being misled.
"Our first impression was Najib and 1MDB board of directors were misled by Jho Low and some members of 1MDB management, who were working in tandem with Jho Low,” said the 43rd prosecution witness at Najib’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds.
Earlier, Tong said he did not know whether data he had obtained from former executive of PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) Xavier Andre Justo was stolen by the Swiss national from his former employer as no one claimed their data was stolen.
The witness also denied paying Justo for the data.
Muhammad Shafee: Do you know, Justo had spent 18 months in a Thai jail on blackmailing charges?
Tong: I’m not aware of the facts of that case.
"I remember, Justo lost a lawsuit brought in Singapore against The Edge’s chief executive officer Ho Kay Tat, Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown and me to recover payment for the data," said the Edge boss.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. - BERNAMA
