Amhari admits getting US$200,000 loan from Jho Low

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 5): Prosecution witness Datuk Amhari Effendi Nazaruddin admitted at the High Court today during the 1Malaysia Development Bhd-Tanore (1MDB-Tanore) trial that he had in 2010, obtained a US$200,000 (about RM839,000) loan from Low Taek Jho to buy a RM1.85 million property in Kota Damansara, Selangor.

Low is also known as Jho Low. Amhari, who is former special officer to ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said he had yet to repay the loan.

Amhari said this during cross-examination by Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Muhammad Shafee had today asked Amhari about his asset declaration to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in June last year.

Today, Amhari said : “I declared the US$200,000 with the MACC and it is in my statement (recorded with the MACC).

“I asked many people for the loan, even my (former) employer Bank Negara (Malaysia), but cannot secure it,” Amhari said.

While Shafee tried to cast an aspersion on the witness by suggesting Amhari conveniently left out details on the US$200,000 loan in his witness statement, Amhari disagreed with the suggestion.

Muhammad Shafee: How did Jho Low come to know about it (Amhari wanting the loan)?

Amhari: I was attached to the Prime Minister's Office and Jho Low offered the loan.

Muhammad Shafee: How did the money come about?

Amhari: It came from a bank transfer to my account.

Muhammad Shafee: Which bank?

Amhari : My Maybank (account) at Jalan Raja Laut.

Amhari said he needed the loan, as he wanted to sell his house in Kota Damansara, and purchase another property there. He said he needed the funds to complete the deal, after selling his old house.

Amhari said the newly-bought property cost RM1.85 million and that he was not able to sell the old one.

While the witness said he initially did not know the source of Low's money for the loan, Amhari said he later found out that it came from Low's company Alsen Chance Holdings Ltd.

No agreements signed

Amhari said that after he received the loan, Low said he would send the necessary documents through the bank.

The witness admitted that there were no agreements signed between him and Low to facilitate the disbursement of the loan.

Besides the two properties in Kota Damansara, Amhari said he has two other properties in Johor, near Puteri Harbour.

He said he tried to buy another property in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, but shelved the idea when he was terminated from employment with Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

On his MACC detention, the witness said the MACC had remanded him for seven days, during which he was treated professionally.

Amhari said the MACC placed him in a cell, but not one that was "haunted".

His cross-examination by Muhammad Shafee continues in the afternoon today.

The Edge is reporting the proceedings live here.

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