This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on November 13, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s former media adviser Paul Stadlen (pic) has escaped attempts to arrest him in the UK — his home country — and is believed to be hiding in Israel.

Sources told The Edge that Stadlen, who was charged in absentia with money laundering in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court in February, had gone to Israel in the middle of this year and not returned.

Following an extradition request made by Malaysia, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London issued a warrant of arrest for Stadlen on Oct 10, but attempts by the police to get him failed. It was then discovered that he had fled to Israel.

Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Stadlen used to work for APCO International, which for many years was the public relations adviser to various Israel governments. APCO coined the concept of One Israel, which was later adopted by Najib. When he became the prime minister in 2009, he introduced the 1Malaysia slogan.

Stadlen, who was Najib’s spin doctor for nine years, was slapped with two money-laundering charges involving RM14.3 million by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

He fled Malaysia immediately after Barisan Nasional, led by the former prime minister, lost the 14th general election in May last year.

According to the first charge, Stadlen was accused of ordering the transfer of a RM8.2 million payment from illegal activities from a bank account of a client of law firm Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak to several individuals and a company in 27 transactions between June and December 2014.

The second charge stated that he ordered the transfer of RM6.1 million from illegal activities from the bank account of the same client of the law firm to several individuals and a company in 16 transactions between January and August 2015.

Both charges, framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, carry a maximum fine of RM5 million or a jail term of up to five years.