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Bloomberg

Jho Low, the fugitive Malaysian financier accused by the United States of being the mastermind of one of the largest financial frauds in history, has asked US President Donald Trump for a pardon.
Low, who was charged in 2018 but has evaded arrest, submitted a pardon application to the US Justice Department this year, according to a notice on its website.
He is accused of being the architect of a scheme that siphoned at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB.
Federal prosecutors allege Low, with the help of two former Goldman Sachs bankers, paid about US$2 billion in bribes to foreign officials, including former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who ended up in prison.
Another US$1 billion in kickbacks went to the scheme’s participants, with Low pocketing at least US$1.42 billion, US officials alleged.


Low, whose whereabouts are not known, has publicly proclaimed his innocence.
According to the Justice Department’s website, the request for “Taek Jho Low”, his legal name, seeks a “Pardon after Completion of Sentence”. The status of his request was “pending”. No other details were available.
A spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, which prosecuted the 1MDB case, did not immediately return an email and voicemail seeking comment.
The 1MDB fraud toppled the Malaysian government, prompted multiple criminal prosecutions and led Goldman to pay more than US$5 billion to settle misconduct claims tied to the convicted bankers.
One of the Goldman bankers, Tim Leissner, pleaded guilty and testified at the 2022 trial of former colleague Roger Ng, who was later convicted and ordered to serve a 10-year prison sentence.
Leissner told jurors that Low assured him that Trump, during his first term, was directly involved in talks to end the US criminal investigation of the 1MDB fraud.
Leissner also said Low told him he had discussed the matter with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser at the time, and had support for a deal in which Low and Leissner would avoid criminal charges over their dealings with 1MDB.
A person familiar with Kushner’s schedule said that Kushner never met with Low or spoke to him during his time at the White House, Bloomberg News reported in 2022.
Leissner also requested a pardon last year. In February, he reported to federal prison to begin serving a two-year sentence. Low’s pardon request was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal.
A lawyer for Low did not immediately return a voicemail and email seeking comment about the request.
The chairman of a Malaysian task force seeking to recover funds and assets linked to ⁠1MDB worldwide said on Wednesday that Low should not be given a pardon.
Johari Abdul ‌Ghani said Low’s ⁠request should be denied and the US should instead assist Malaysia in locating him for further investigations.
“As far as I’m concerned, ‌I’m against the pardon,” Johari, who is also trade minister, said in a text message.
Johari added ‌he was ‌unaware of any talks between Low and Malaysia to return assets.
Additional reporting by Reuters


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The fugitive financier is accused of being the architect of a scheme to siphon at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund


The fugitive financier is accused of being the architect of a scheme to siphon at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.


Malaysia’s Jho Low seeking Trump pardon for 1MDB fraud

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The fugitive financier is accused of being the architect of a scheme to siphon at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund

The fugitive financier is accused of being the architect of a scheme to siphon at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund