Najib's stepson the key for Low, says report

 

 Controversial money man Taek Jho Low's tunneled his way into the Malaysian elite circle through Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor and her son Riza Aziz, Sarawak Report said.

The whitsleblower website said Penangite Low got into Rosmah’s good books after meeting her son while at school in the UK in 2004.

"Insiders say that Jho Low’s key initial Malaysian contact was the PM’s stepson Riza Aziz, whom he met while at school over in the UK.

"Low spent plenty of time ingratiating himself with Riza’s mother, Rosmah Mansor (below), whom he generally refers to as ‘Madame’ or ‘First Lady’," the report alleged.

"By the time Najib was deputy prime minister, Low was already well in with the family and full of helpful information for Rosmah and her husband about how to ‘fix things’ financially,” the report reads.

The report also cited "insiders" from Red Granite Pictures, the production company ran by Riza, that Riza was being funded by Low.

This included footing a sizeable bill by Rosmah after a recent visit to Beverly Hills, it reported.

"The duo (Riza and Low) have become well known fixed members of a party circuit that has included jaunts at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, yacht parties in the Mediterranean and luxury trips to watch Formula One and the World Cup in Brazil," the report further stated.

Special thanks

Included in the report were pictures from Li Lin Seet’s social media accounts. Lin’s online CV states that he is vice president of Jynwel Capital Ltd, where Low is CEO.

The pictures include Li with Low, Riza, A-list actor Leonardo DiCaprio and heiress Paris Hilton at various sports matches.

Low was thanked in the credits of 'Wolf of Wall Street', the Red Granite produced Hollywood movie starring DiCaprio.

The film cost US$100 million (RM361.62 million) to make, with Hollywood insiders claiming that Low was the financier. However, Riza denied that Low bankrolled the Oscar-nominated film.

Najib is also suing PAS organ Harakah Daily for linking the Riza to 1MDB.

Najib said he is taking legal action to protect his family and assured no one will abuse 1MDB for personal interest.

Low was instrumental in the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA), which was later rebranded as 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) by Najib in 2009.

In the 2013 general elections, he actively campaigned for BN in Penang, but drew widespread flak for organising lavish free dinners and concerts during the campaign period.

In another report, Sarawak Report alleged that Low had used a joint venture agreement between 1MDB and Petrosaudi in 2009 to "siphon" some RM 2.5 billion to a company that he controlled.

The Prime Minister's Office said criticism on 1MDB should be viewed as "politically-motivated".

When contacted, 1MDB president Arul Kanda reiterated that the firm has redeemed all the funds it put into the PetroSaudi deal, plus a profit of $US488 million.

Arul Kanda did not respond to allegations that Low "siphoned" some US$700 (RM2.5 billion).

PetroSaudi also said that all funds invested by 1MDB into the joint venture between 1MDB and PetroSaudi went to PetroSaudi entities and no one else.

Malaysiakini has also contacted the Prime Minister's Office and Low's public relations representative for a response.