Jho Low associate claims unaware of RM32m recipient identity

KUALA LUMPUR (March 3): Former Putrajaya Perdana Bhd (PPB) group executive director Jerome Lee Tak Loong said he did not know who received two cash transfers totalling RM32 million paid from the company’s accounts in 2014. 

In his statement recorded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in July 22, 2015 during his remand, the 43-year-old said he was informed by PPB executive chairman Datuk Rosman Abdullah in August 2014 that the company had identified a RM270 million plot of land in Saudi Arabia for development.

While he remembered reading the agreement in English, he however could not remember the name of the Arab seller, as his name was very long, and could not recall the location of the property.

“A total of RM27 million was paid from the account as deposit and the RM5 million was included in the sale and purchase. The deposit amount was fully refundable if the agreement [could not] be reached within six months.

“I signed the necessary documents to transfer the money as deposits but do not know who the recipient [was] as this was not revealed, as only account bank numbers were given.

Lee, who was 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s director of execution before joining PPB, said in the end, the deal did not materialise and the amount of RM32 million was refunded.

The former PPB executive said while he knew the late Datuk Azlin Alias, who was Datuk Seri Najib Razak's principal private secretary until he passed away in 2015, he does not know whether Azlin had anything to do with the Saudi land deal.

He also did not know whether the company had any ties with SRC International Sdn Bhd, which was previously a subsidiary of 1MDB.

MACC is said to be looking for Lee, where it issued a media circular on him in January (ie 2020). His statement was admitted today as a defence exhibit.

The said RM27 million and RM5 million, which originated from PPB subsidiaries, namely Putrajaya Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd and Permai Binaraya Sdn Bhd, were said to have been deposited into former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak's account on Dec 26, 2014.

Rosman had previously testified in Najib's SRC trial that he did not know the AmBank accounts belonged to Najib, and that the RM32 million had come from SRC.

The former premier is presently on trial for criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power.

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