Malaysian police have confirmed that wanted businessman Jho Low, also known as Low Taek Jhow, has fled the country and is now residing in Macau.
The Penang-born businessman is allegedly connected to the controversial 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal that saw billions of US dollars disappear from the sovereign wealth fund.
Police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the suspicion was confirmed after investigators obtained crucial information while tracking Low in Hong Kong.
“This latest information was obtained after a team from Bukit Aman [federal police] was deployed to Hong Kong to track down the fugitive,” he said, as cited by Channel NewsAsia. “We were informed that Jho Low had fled to Macau when the team arrived there [Hong Kong].”
Last month, Low’s passport was canceled on the request of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Macau does not currently have an extradition treaty with Malaysia.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission believes Low played a central role in the laundering of public money from the sovereign wealth fund. They say that they have sufficient evidence to prove Low’s involvement in the scandal.
Low has previously described his role with 1MDB as informal consulting that did not break any law. According to Bloomberg, he said he would cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog through his lawyers.
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