Fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low, wanted for his key role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, is believed to be hiding in Macau, Malaysia’s anti-corruption watchdog confirmed to Al Jazeera.
According to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) it “believes the individuals wanted for the 1MDB case, especially Jho Low, are hiding in Macau.”
“This was also confirmed by several individuals who have seen Jho Low in Macau,” MACC added.
The confirmation came weeks after the arrest of a relatively unknown 1MDB suspect, Kee Kok Thiam.
According to the MACC, its government did not receive any notification from Macau regarding Kee’s repatriation, but noted, “Kee was being deported from Macau based on intelligence networking.”
In early May, Kee was arrested upon touching down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after being deported from Macau for allegedly overstaying his visa.
As cited in a report issued by Al Jazeera, Macau authorities declined to comment on specific cases, but said they wanted to emphasize that cases involving foreigners are always handled “in accordance with the law and procedures, as well as relevant international practices.”
Meanwhile, MACC said that Kee confirmed he met Jho Low and a number of other 1MDB fugitives – including Eric Tan Kim Loong, Casey Tang Keng Chee, Geh Choh Heng and Nik Faisal – in Macau and that Jho Low instructed him “not to return to Malaysia as a witness in the 1MDB case,” as cited in the report.
The Times contacted the local immigration department to confirm Jho Low’s presence in Macau. No reply was given by press time.
Last month, Malaysia’s government was reportedly in talks with China seeking the extradition of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.
In 2020, the Office of the Secretary for Security refuted the claims of Malaysian authorities that the fugitive businessman was in the SAR. The renewed claims come as Malaysia continues to seek the financer of the state’s 1MDB financial scandal, who has eluded law enforcement since at least 2016.
It was also in 2020 when the Malaysian court sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve 12 years after finding him guilty in the first of several corruption trials linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund that brought down his government in 2018. LV
