Lawyer Shafee Abdullah, in cross-examining former 1MDB chief financial officer Azmi Tahir, had asked Azmi whether he and the management knew of the fugitive businessman’s “hard partying lifestyle”.

Shafee said news reports of the financier, also known as Jho Low, partying with reality TV star Paris Hilton and buying gifts for Australian model Miranda Kerr had made headlines since 2010.

He also said that part of 1MDB’s bond receipts had been transferred to companies controlled by Low in 2012.

Azmi replied that Low’s private life was “not a concern” to the company.

“It’s his (Low’s) personal life. We have politicians here whose personal lives are also questionable,” he said.

Shafee argued that Low’s partying life had been widely reported, and that the amount of money he spent to party was “close to insanity”.

“Why did the management not inform the board of directors and lodge a police report?” he asked.

To that, Azmi said: “I don’t see what is the link that you are trying to make.

“It would be a concern for me if the transactions were fraudulent.”

Shafee then pointed out that as chief financial officer, Azmi had transferred US$790 million to Aabar Investments PJS Ltd (BVI) without informing the board of directors.

“I had an agreement to fulfil,” Azmi said.

The lawyer then rebuked Azmi for being “combative”.

“I am not. Your questions have to be fair to me,” Azmi said.

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 before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.