The Malaysian Insight

POLICE believe that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho or Jho Low is hiding in an under-the-radar location and not in Cyprus, said Abdul Hamid Bador.

However, the inspector-general of police said investigations show that Low tried to acquire properties in Cyprus through proxies.

“What is certain is he is not in Cyprus but in a country that is isolated and it is difficult for him to come out from. He is hiding like a chicken,” he told a media conference today.

Hamid said police of learnt of his attempt to acquire assets in Cyprus from several individuals detained by the task force on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

“The task force examined all the leads, including that Jho Low was in Cyprus and from this, made some arrest and deduced that he was trying to acquire properties in Cyprus through a proxy.”

Pressed on where Jho Low was hiding, Hamid said it was an island but did not want to elaborate.

Hamid maintained it was impossible for the fugitive financier to leave the country in which he is currently hiding, but said police were doing all they could to bring him back to Malaysia.

“I’m using a lot of ways to bring him back, not just official, including semi-official ways as well.

“My patience has limits when I’m negotiating with the said country, because we have given them our full cooperation in all issues pertaining to policing.”

Hamid pronounced himself as being disappointed that his request has not been entertained.

“They give excuses like ‘he underwent plastic surgery’, ‘he has left and gone to Cyprus’ or ‘he has gone to UAE’, which doesn’t make sense at all,” he said.

Last week, the US Department of Justice struck a deal with Low to recover almost US$1 billion (RM4.3 billion) looted from 1MDB.

The settlement was to resolve forfeiture cases linked to the Penang-born businessman and parties related to him.

It did not include an admission of guilt or wrongdoing, and was not tied to the criminal action against Low.

Legal sources, meanwhile, have said the alleged 1MDB fraud mastermind is currently in the United Arab Emirates and seeking asylum elsewhere.

They said Low was offered asylum in August under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and European Convention on Human Rights “as a result of Malaysia’s purported political actions and human rights violations against him”.

Low’s lawyers confirmed the asylum offer, but did not give further details. – November 6, 2019.