Jho Low is the No. 1 crook, says Najib’s lawyer

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 4 years ago · Published on 6 Jan 2020 7:13PM · 3 Comments

If Jho Low tries to minimise his role, he’s not telling the truth, according to Najib Razak’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, January 6, 2020.

LOW Taek Jho was today called the “No.1 crook” by Najib Razak’s lawyer after the fugitive businessman denied any criminal wrongdoing in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, in an interview with The Straits Times, published today.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the Penang-born businessman was the “central figure” in the 1MDB scandal.

“If he tries to minimise his role, he’s not telling the truth,” Shafee told reporters after the SRC International hearing today, where his client faces seven criminal charges.

“All these people around him, with the exception of Goldman Sachs, the accomplices have absconded,” Shafee said.

“He is the No. 1 culprit. He is the No. 1 crook.”

In the ST interview today, Low, commonly known as Jho Low, denied being a mastermind and said he was only “an introducer and intermediary”.

He said he was being made a scapegoat for the 1MDB scandal and would not return to Malaysia to face trial because he did not believe the government could guarantee his safety.

For his role in the 1MDB scandal – over which Najib faces a total of 42 criminal charges, including 33 in three ongoing criminal trials – the former prime minister said he was misled by Low and others, including bankers, 1MDB executivies and foreigners.

Shafee said the government has failed in its commitment to bring Low home to face trial.

“The IGP made promises six months ago that he would get Jho Low within two weeks.

“Yet, he has not made an announcement on Jho Low’s whereabouts. Why can’t they go hard against Jho Low?

“Why not announce where Jho Low is, and name and shame the country where he is?”

“I want to know why Malaysia has not made any request for extradition.”

Journalist Tom Wright, in response today, maintained that Low was still hiding in China and not the United Arab Emirates as suggested in the ST interview.

“Jho Low gives a pointless interview to the Straits Times without answering multiple charges against him by US and Malaysian authorities. He’s still on the run in China,” said Wright on Twitter.

China does not have an extradition treaty with Malaysia. – January 6, 2020.

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Comments

  • Let say what the lawyer said is corrrect, what's the conclusion? We have an idiot useless conman PM that allowed the country to be cheated by the tens of billion.

    Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply

    • The dumb reporters will never ask that kind of question. All they do they is record and report his "statement" here. Absolutely useless. Mr Jahabar Sadiq do something, eg., train your reporters!!!

      Posted 4 years ago by Mo Salleh · Reply

  • So Low is tried and convicted by Najibs defence lawyer. This narrative is solely to reinforce Najibs defence strategy of it wasnt my fault. Its easy to blame a dead man and absent people, as they cannot defend themselves. I suspect they hatched this plan amongst themselves as they thought Najib has the greatest chance of escaping jail. However by condemning the others, none of them will ever be able to return to Malaysia and that is hard. I wonder how long they will hold out.

    Posted 4 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply