KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Law firm Wong and Partners' partner Mark Lim Chin Hian today stressed that he had never met now-fugitive Low Taek Jho, even as former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah suggested that the duo had met in the past.

Lim said this while testifying as the 32nd prosecution witness in this case, where Najib is on trial over the misappropriation of 1Malaysia Development Berhad's (1MDB) RM2.28 billion which were alleged to have entered his personal bank accounts.

Shafee claimed that a potential defence witness for Najib was at a meeting where Low, Lim and Wong and Partners' partner Brian Chia were in attendance.

Shafee: I'm going to ask you this question, and I'm hoping you will cast your mind to remember the events that have transpired and to be as candid, as honest as possible before the court. Can I ask you a direct question, have you not met Jho Low?

Lim: I have not met Jho Low.

Shafee: And you are saying this confidently, you remember you have not met Jho Low?

Lim: 100 per cent I have not met Jho Low.

Shafee: What if I were to suggest to you that we have a witness from 1MDB whose name we will not disclose, who actually attended a meeting where Jho Low was present, Brian Chia was present and you were present, all collectively?

Lim: I disagree with that.

Shafee explained he had to suggest this to Lim, as Najib's lawyers will be calling in this unnamed witness if Najib is ordered to enter his defence.

Throughout the cross-examination, Shafee had asked Lim multiple questions that may be better answered by Chia himself or which Lim did not have any personal knowledge of.

Shafee said that this was because the prosecution does not intend to call in Chia as a prosecution witness and he had to ask such questions to prevent the defence of being accused of an afterthought in the future.

Chia and Lim had been involved in providing legal advice to 1MDB in the past.

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