KUALA LUMPUR – The likelihood of renowned Malaysian fugitive Low Taek Jho openly carrying out huge financial dealings in China appears to be even more probable, following revelations made by investigative journalists Tom Wright and Bradley Hope.
In what the duo labelled as their “biggest break” since they began their search to pinpoint Low’s whereabouts, they claimed that a British Virgin Islands company – Grace Zenith Limited – has a US$333 million (RM1.46 billion) subscribed capital contribution to a company once owned by Low.
According to documents shared by the duo on episode six of the Where is Jho Low? series on the Project Brazen YouTube channel, Low – better known as Jho Low – and his reported business associate Seet Li Lin had “recently” removed their names as owners of Guiyue Business Consulting.
BREAKING: Fugitive Jho Low controls $333 million via a British Virgin Islands company that has offices in the iconic Shanghai World Financial Center! Is this where he goes to work? Listen here:https://t.co/AxofDCw25G
— Tom Wright (@TomWrightAsia) October 13, 2022
The office of the now fully Grace Zenith-owned Chinese company is located on the 28th floor of the Shanghai World Finance Centre – one of the most iconic buildings in China.
“The documents suggest that the company (Grace Zenith) is still operating and it potentially owns other companies.
“What does this company do? Is Jho Low showing up and taking the elevator up to work every day at his office in this famous tower?” Hope questioned.
He added that the massive subscribed share capital is “rare to see”, suggesting that the company might be one of the major places where Low has stashed money originating from the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal he is implicated in.
Penang-born Low, 41, who is wanted for his alleged involvement in the international bribery, corruption, and money laundering conspiracy, has been on the run since 2018.
Meanwhile, Wright reiterated that Malaysian officials have ostensibly turned a blind eye to Low’s dealings in China as the latter holds much influence over important figures in Malaysia.
“This lead (regarding Low’s businesses in China) would give you optimism if you were the Malaysian government and you weren’t full of Jho Low’s cronies – which seems to be the case,” he alleged.
“The Malaysian government is full of people who have ties with Jho Low and are unwilling to really press the issue (of returning Low to Malaysia) with China.”
In a previous episode, the authors of the Billion Dollar Whale book on the 1MDB scandal had claimed that no one in Malaysia was actively pursuing the capture of Low from China – despite assurances by Malaysian authorities that they remained committed to the task.
Quoting a source in China familiar with the upper levels of the Chinese government and with ties to the Chinese Communist party, the duo asserted that “too many powerful people in Malaysia are connected to Low.”
“As a result, no one in Malaysia really wants Low back because it can become too explosive, everything that he has done and knows could affect Malaysia.”
Last week, caretaker home minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin was pressed by opposition lawmakers in Parliament over whether local authorities had contacted Wright and Hope, following the duo’s claims that Low and his family were spotted in Shanghai Disneyland in China in 2019.
Hamzah had responded by saying that police have not stopped looking and remain dedicated in their efforts to track down Low and extradite him to Malaysia to face criminal charges. – The Vibes, October 14, 2022