KUALA LUMPUR – Former attorney-general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali has revealed that he was approached by a representative of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, to hold a meeting with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
Apandi said that after he was contacted in May this year by Kobre & Kim, the law firm representing Low, he had arranged a series of meetings to discuss returning funds their client had allegedly taken from the national sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
However, he said that the AGC had then cancelled the meetings.
“Kobre & Kim from Washington, DC had reached out to me in May and asked for help to set up a meeting with the AGC.
“During the meeting at the AGC office here, the Malaysian government was represented by the AG and his officers as well as a senior officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC),” he said in a statement today as quoted by Malaysian Insight.
Adding that a representative from the law firm was also present during the meeting, he said that while the meeting had looked “positive” at the time, it was later “suddenly” cancelled by the AGC for unknown reasons.
Earlier today, The Edge quoted sources as saying that Low had offered Putrajaya RM1.5 billion to cut a deal and alleged that Apandi had represented the man during negotiations.
In an ensuing statement, the AGC said that it had rejected all offers made by Low to settle his charges with the government and confirmed that the offers were made this year via a representative.
Low is often said to be the mastermind of the 1MDB financial scandal and is wanted by Malaysia over his role in looting at least US$4.5 billion (around RM20.2 million) from the development fund.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he was only acting as a middleman for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently appealing his conviction in the case involving former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Former Goldman Sachs banker and alleged collaborator Roger Ng has been charged in the US court and was found guilty of corruption charges related to his role in helping to loot hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB.
Low was also accused of arranging with New York jeweller Lorraine Schwartzin 2013 to create a US$23 million (RM97.3 million) pink diamond necklace for Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, prosecutors in Ng’s trial told a New York court in March.
Low was also charged in absentia in New York and Malaysia and has been on the run since the scandal came to light.
In July 2020, former Inspector-General of police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador had said that Low was hiding in Macau and that attempts to extradite him have failed as Chinese authorities appeared to be insincere about cooperating.
However, China denied protecting the wanted businessman, labelling Hamid’s accusations as groundless and unacceptable. – The Vibes, July 16, 2022
