Najib’s former special officer, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, said the appointment of Low’s right-hand man, Geh Choh Heng, was to make sure that Malaysia sign three important infrastructure projects with China.

These were the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), Multi Product Pipe (MPP) and Trans Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP) projects.

Amhari said Najib wanted to attract Chinese investments in Malaysia in an attempt to get the investors to bail out 1MDB debts. He said he believed Low was given the mandate by Najib to handle Chinese investments.

“I had only known him as Heng,” he said at Najib’s 1MDB trial, referring to Geh.

“And I found out later he was one of the individuals that the authorities were looking for,” he said when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib on Geh’s background.

Geh, a former 1MDB director, was one of four individuals linked to Low, also known as Jho Low, who had left Malaysia before the May 9 polls last year.

The other associates were Tan Kim Loong, former 1MDB general counsel Loo Ai Swan and 1MDB director Tang Keng Chee.

All four were were charged in absentia last year with allegedly receiving funds from 1MDB.

Amhari also told the court that as Najib’s special officer, he managed his boss’ social media accounts and sent social media updates on his behalf.

“I had to embed myself to understand him so I can write and tweet like Datuk Seri,” he said.

Asked by fiat prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram about Paul Stadlen’s role, Amhari said Stadlen was Najib’s media adviser.

“He was not an official member in the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) and his role was to look at the international communication issues,” he said, adding the British national reported directly to Najib.

Stadlen was also charged in absentia early this year with receiving money from Najib.

The hearing before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.