SINGAPORE (Nov 16): Ex-BSI banker Yeo Jiawei was not merely a “junior bank employee”, but had spent the night at 1MDB mastermind Low Taek Jho’s apartment in Hong Kong on one occasion – and even wore Low’s clothes, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng.
In court on Wednesday, Tan accused the former BSI wealth planner of downplaying his relationship with Malaysian financier Jho Low, the man at the centre of the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal.
It was the 10th day of Yeo’s trial for four charges of tampering with witnesses.
Sketch of Yeo Jiawei in court by Michelle Zhu
Earlier in the trial, Yeo had described himself as merely a junior bank employee who took instructions from Low that were indirectly relayed via his more senior colleagues. These included Yeo’s former boss Kevin Swampillai, and Low’s private banker, Yak Yew Chee.
Yak last Friday pleaded guilty for forgery and for not reporting suspicious transactions.
Yeo said that he met Low personally for 10 times at most: five times each before and after Yeo left BSI bank. In addition, Yeo said that he had taken Low’s private jet “not more than three times”.
A photograph taken by Yeo, which showed Low in his private jet just before the plane took off for a midnight flight from Singapore to Hong Kong, had been earlier presented in court.
Yeo said that he did not even have his luggage with him as this was a last minute flight arranged by Yak. Yeo claimed that he only spent a few hours at Hong Kong’s airport before heading back Singapore.
“Let me remind you, I won’t put things to you unless I have evidence,” said DPP Tan, before drawing the circle tighter around Yeo.
Tan told the court that Yeo spent the night at Low’s apartment in Hong Kong, and even wore Low’s clothes. Yeo was also on board Low’s jet from Shanghai to Hong Kong on June 4, 2015, Tan said.
'Clearly lying in court'
The deputy public prosecutor brought up another instance of Yeo trying to downplay his relationship with Low.
Yeo had told the court earlier that he met Low for the first time back in early 2012, at St Regis Singapore, to discuss about some life insurance plans for Low. Yeo had claimed that his more senior colleagues, Yak and Swampillai, were also present at that meeting, and that Low did not even look at him in the eye.
However, DPP Tan pointed out that when Yeo’s lawyer Philip Fong had earlier cross examined Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) officer Oh Yong Yang, the court was told that Yeo’s first meeting with Low was back in either September or October of 2011 in Kuala Lumpur.
At one point, Tan said to Yeo: “You are clearly, clearly lying in court.”
Earlier in the morning, Yeo had already admitted to lying to the CAD when the white-collar crime cops were investigating Yeo’s involvement in the money-laundering scheme that has siphoned money off 1MDB.
For example, while he was under remand, Yeo had told CAD as recently as Apr 27 this year that he neither owned nor used a secondary mobile line. The court was shown call tracing records that Yeo had indeed been using a secondary mobile line since October last year.
This was used to keep in touch with his business associates and friends – Samuel Goh and Kelvin Ang – as well as his former boss at BSI, Kevin Swampillai.
Ang is being charged, while Goh and Swampillai have already testified against Yeo earlier in the trial.
The term “Bangla phone” was used earlier in the trial to refer to SIM cards and phones that belonged to construction workers that have since left Singapore and are therefore untraceable.
Yeo claimed that he was afraid that he would get charged, and was confused at the time he lied to CAD. “I had no access to my lawyer and no contact with my family,” he said.
“You need a lawyer to tell the truth?” Tan retorted.
In addition, the prosecutor got Yeo to acknowledge that he has been the main point of contact to the various witnesses he is accused of tampering with. Yeo also acknowledged that he did not fall out with these witnesses, and that their relationship was OK all along.
"They are not out to fix you, and so they have no reason to lie in this court," said Tan.
"I do not know why they did not say the truth,” Yeo said. He suggested that they said what they said only after the whole 1MDB saga turned big and ugly. “What they said was not entirely the truth. They only want to save their own skin.”
Yeo also stressed repeatedly that he did what he did as he was instructed to do so by his former boss at BSI, Swampillai. This included the plan to set up their own fund management services company outside BSI to earn intermediary fees of their own.
“You’re always pushing everything to him, it’s never your fault,” said Tan.
“That’s because he (Swampillai) is the one with the authority and the power to decide if the fund can be with BSI bank,” Yeo replied.
“So you just blindly followed?” Tan continued.
“No,” Yeo answered.
“So you followed with a conscious mind?” Tan probed further.
“I followed as it was a good plan,” Yeo said.
“You followed with a conscious mind?” Tan repeated.
“Yes,” Yeo conceded.
The trial continues on Thursday.