He made the remark when questioned by lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah over financial problems in the company, and if Hazem and his then chairman Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin ever met Najib to brief him.

Hazem said both he and Lodin shared the same sentiments that 1MDB should bring back its money, raised through foreign bond offerings outside of the country, to pay up debts.

“As far as I am concerned, it was out in the media and was even put before the PAC (Public Accounts Committee).

“Datuk Seri (Najib) as the prime minister and a representative (from the government) in 1MDB would have known something was going on in the company,” he said.

Shafee asked if the witness believed everything that appeared in media reports. Hazem replied that 1MDB issues had also been raised in the Dewan Rakyat.

Shafee: There was a lot of drama in the Dewan Rakyat. Sometimes you can’t say if the MPs are telling the truth. You would have raised it with Datuk Seri, who is your boss?

Hazem: He is the ultimate boss.

Meanwhile, Hazem told the court that he met fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) at Shangri-La Putrajaya before he joined 1MDB as chief operating officer in 2012.

He said Najib’s then principal private secretary Azlin Alias, who is now deceased, was also present at that meeting.

According to Hazem, Low told him that 1MDB was set up to raise funds for Umno. Shafee then asked if Hazem had ever verified Low’s statement about Umno.

However, Hazem answered that Azlin was also at the meeting and the senior aide to the former prime minister did not say anything to correct Low.

The lawyer said: “You were more or less being ‘interviewed’ by Jho Low.”

“I was told by Azlin that the prime minister had approved my CV (curriculum vitae) in writing. Because of that, Azlin introduced me to Jho Low,” Hazem said.

‘Not necessary for 1MDB unit to buy IPP’

Earlier today, Hazem told the court it was not necessary for 1MDB, through its subsidiary, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Sdn Bhd, to raise US$1.75 billion to buy the independent power plant (IPP) owned by Mastika Lagenda Sdn Bhd.

1MDB bought a 100% stake in Mastika for RM2.75 billion in 2012. Goldman Sachs raised a total of US$3.5 billion for both the Mastika Lagenda and Tanjong Energy Holdings Sdn Bhd purchases.

Shafee claimed that the method of raising funds through bonds was a very “sophisticated conspiracy” by Low and Goldman Sachs representatives in their attempt to siphon off money.

Shafee: But, at the same time, there is still money to complete the purchase of the IPPs?

Hazem: I believed so, based on reports.

Asked by Shafee if his predecessor Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi had acted “negligently” in approving payments up to US$790 million from 1MDB Energy (Langat) to a British Virgin Island company, Aabar Investments PJS Limited, Hazem declined to comment.

Trial Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah then interjected and said it was not fair for Hazem to comment.

Shahrol had previously testified from Sept 23, 2019 to Sept 3, 2020.

Najib faces 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The hearing continues tomorrow.