PUTRAJAYA (July 6): It is up to the authorities tasked to investigate the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal to determine the whereabouts of Low Taek Jho and to bring him back to Malaysia, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

“I have not been following the voyages of Jho Low, so I don’t know where he is,” Dr Mahathir said at a press conference today, when asked about the fugitive’s whereabouts. 

“This is up to the people who are tasked with tracing him, and dealing with all these problems caused by 1MDB and other wrongdoings of the previous government,” he added. 

Earlier this month, it was reported that the MACC had issued a warrant of arrest for Low and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, a former director of SRC International Sdn Bhd, which was previously a unit of 1MDB. 

On June 13, Low, who was then said to be in Dubai, reportedly offered to meet the 1MDB task force in the Gulf City, but the request was later shot down by the MACC. 

On June 14, the Wall Street Journal reported Dr Mahathir has turned down Low’s offer to drop his claim to more than a billion dollars in assets, in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution in relation to the 1MDB scandal. 

On Wednesday, the Immigration Department said Low’s passport has been cancelled since June 15, upon the request of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). 

On Thursday, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun revealed to the press that Low had fled arrest in Hong Kong, with his latest location identified as Macau.  

On a related matter, Dr Mahathir scoffed at accusations that the charges against Najib for criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in connection with SRC International and subsequent freezing of accounts linked to his family, were acts of revenge by the current premier. 

“We did not complain when he did even more than that,” Dr Mahathir said. 

“All my friends were chased away. Their bank accounts were frozen. We did not complain,” he added. 

On Thursday, Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa took the freezing of bank accounts belonging to her and her son to social media. Her brother Norashman’s bank account was also reportedly frozen. 

Najib was charged at the High Court on Thursday on three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power in relation to RM42 million allegedly siphoned from SRC International. 

He was granted bail of RM1 million, half of which was reportedly paid up by Nooryana and Norashman, with funds collected from friends and relatives.