ALLEGED mastermind of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal Low Taek Jho has reiterated his distrust of the Malaysian government to give him a fair trial, saying Putrajaya’s actions have contradicted its statements.

“The Malaysian government’s actual actions contradict their statements, such as telling the media that they will ‘guarantee’ my safety and that I will have a fair trial,” Low told Singapore’s Straits Times in an email interview, his first in nearly four years.

“(But) take, for example, the seizure of my family’s home. That home was owned by my family decades before 1MDB even existed.

“The Malaysian government seized it under the false pretence that it was somehow related to 1MDB, and we had to get a court to force them to hand over the purported ‘evidence’ they were relying upon for seizure.

“When the documents were finally released, it was revealed that the Malaysian government hadn’t even attempted to try to link the purchase of the home to 1MDB, because they simply can’t.”

He was asked why he continued to remain in hiding while saying he wanted to tell his side of the story, and why should the public believe him when he refused to return to Malaysia for trial.

“It is difficult to believe the Malaysian government is serious about ‘guaranteeing’ my safety, when at the same time senior officials and politicians have openly speculated about the use of kidnapping and other illegal operations to bring me to Malaysia; actions that contravene both international human rights and laws in foreign jurisdictions.”

In Malaysia, former prime minister Najib Razak is now facing trial on multiple charges related to the 1MDB scandal.

Low has been charged here with money-laundering.

In the US, Low faces charges of conspiring to launder billions misappropriated from 1MDB and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

In all, he is believed to have misappropriated more than US$4 billion from 1MDB.

Low said in contrast to Malaysia, US authorities respected the rule of law and considered those accused innocent until proven guilty.

He declined to comment on the charges he faced in the US, but referred to the recent settlement with the Department of Justice on filings in the central district of California, in which he gave up his claims to US$1 billion in assets said to have been bought with funds stolen from 1MDB.

“I can’t comment on pending legal matters, but what I can say is that my team continues to engage in a constructive and open dialogue with the Department of Justice, where the rule of law is respected and where people are considered innocent until proven guilty..

“(The) settlement sets us on a new path forward. I am looking forward to the day when the political climate in Malaysia is such that I feel safe enough to return home and the rule of law will be respected so that the facts can be presented, and I can vigorously defend myself.” – January 6, 2020.