Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 20, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is unaware of 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) special adviser Low Taek Jho’s (Jho Low) reported arrest in China, but hopes it is true and that he is brought back to Malaysia.

“I didn’t know [but] thank you for giving the information that he is arrested but for what [reason], I don’t know. You are better informed than the PM of Malaysia. I have no other information. All I know is that he is jumping from one place to another, trying to avoid arrest,” he told reporters at the parliament lobby yesterday morning.

“I hope he has been arrested and is brought back to Malaysia. We don’t have an extradition treaty with China but that does not mean they cannot hand over Jho Low to us,” he added.

According to the Sarawak Report which quoted a Hong Kong radio station, Penang-born businessman Low has been detained pending Dr Mahathir’s visit to China.

When asked about this, Dr Mahathir said he is not aware of that but confirmed that he will be going to China in mid-August.

In the past few months, Low, who allegedly played a key role in the misappropriation of money amounting to US$4.5 billion from state fund 1MDB, has been reportedly sighted in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Arrest warrants have been issued by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Singapore police for Low and his alleged accomplices in the fund and foreign banks that were used to transfer illicit funds.

Malaysia has revoked his passport following the issuance of the arrest warrant.

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