1MDB scandal: Malaysian police hunting Jho Low meet Chinese officials to help track him down
- Low has been painted by US prosecutors as a central figure in Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, where billions of dollars were allegedly embezzled
- He has maintained his innocence and faces charges including money laundering in Malaysia. His whereabouts are not known
Malaysian police have met Chinese authorities as they intensify their efforts in the hunt for fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, according to state media.
Low, better known as Jho Low, has been cast by US prosecutors as a central figure in Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, in which US$4.5 billion were allegedly embezzled from the state investment company. He has repeatedly maintained his innocence and faces charges including money laundering in Malaysia. He was charged in absentia as his whereabouts are not known. He is widely speculated to be in China.
Inspector-General Mohamad Fuzi Harun from the Royal Malaysian Police said the efforts to track down Low were ongoing.
“The police are also communicating with Interpol and the status is the same,” he told Bernama news agency on the weekend.
Fuzi did not respond to requests for further comment.
Low has previously said he did consulting work for 1MDB – as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad fund is known – but is portrayed by some global investigators as the mastermind behind some of the schemes involving missing funds. He has been described as the “best witness” to provide information on alleged crimes at 1MDB.
Last week, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the government would continue its effort to locate the businessman. Mahathir’s remarks followed reports Chinese authorities offered to help derail investigations into 1MDB in exchange for the approval of infrastructure projects under its multibillion-dollar “Belt and Road Initiative”, which involves the construction of roads, ports, railways and pipelines in more than 50 countries.
