This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on October 24, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied news reports that quoted him as saying in Parliament that the Malaysian police is seeking the International Police Organisation’s (Interpol) help to locate business person Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, over his suspected involvement in the multibillion-dollar scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

The DPM’s office, in a statement yesterday, “strongly refuted social media reports which have manipulated the answer” given by the DPM in reply to a supplementary question by PKR lawmaker Datuk Seri Mohd Azmin Ali earlier in the day. The DPM, in his reply to Mohd Azmin’s supplementary question at the Parliament sitting yesterday “clearly stated that there was no case to be convicted,” the statement said. 

The statement said the police have “closed the case file and there were no other requests made by Interpol concerning the case. However, the social media reports implied that new efforts were being done to locate Jho Low. That is so untrue.”

Low, whose whereabouts are not known, has not been charged with any crime, but US authorities have said they are moving forward with a criminal investigation into stolen 1MDB funds.