The former prime minister said he was “uneasy” about Low when news broke out about the fugitive businessman’s lavish lifestyle, as well as after tycoon Tong Kooi Ong informed him that Low needed to be held accountable for 1MDB.

“But I left it to the agencies to investigate (Low and 1MDB) and I also asked PAC (Public Accounts Committee) to look into (the matter).

“I never stopped them,” he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Mustaffa P Kunyalam asked about the cabinet ministers’ code of ethics: “One of the things you need to stay away from is being associated or involved with ‘despicable characters’ who could tarnish your reputation because these characters are often targeted by certain parties.

“Do you agree you should have distanced yourself from Jho Low (after bad publicity on Low’s 1MDB links)?”

Najib denied the need to stay clear of Low, saying the businessman was needed because of his ties with Chinese government officials.

‘Ex-AG not removed because of 1MDB’

Najib insisted that former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail’s removal in 2015 was not related to 1MDB.

He said investigations into 1MDB continued despite the dissolution of the task force in 2015. Gani was a member of the task force at the time.

To another question, he reiterated that the 1MDB investigations brought against him were unfair.

He insisted that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s questioning did not appear to target him and that the investigation papers were sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers before his statements were recorded.

“Whatever I said (after the investigation papers were submitted) was immaterial, and this is serious transgression on my rights,” he said.

Najib is charged with 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to US$681 million (RM2.28 billion) deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Jan 20.