DR Mahathir Mohamad has turned down Low Taek Jho’s offer to meet Malaysian investigators in Dubai, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Low, better known as Jho Low, is accused of masterminding the theft of billions of ringgit from state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Yesterday, it was reported that Low has told the task force investigating 1MDB that he was willing to meet them in Dubai.

As a precursor to that meeting, his lawyers are expected to meet Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials in the Gulf emirate and discuss areas in which their client can assist in the probe involving the siphoning off billions of ringgit from the state-owned entity. 

The prime minister has rejected the offer and the message was passed via an intermediary, WSJ said.

Low, whom the United States Department of Justice alleges masterminded a scheme to steal US$4.5 billion from 1MDB between 2009 and 2015, is living in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, the American business portal quoted sources as saying.

Earlier this month, MACC issued warrants of arrest for Low, former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng and a former 1MDB official Shahrol Halmi.

Malaysia does not have an extradition treaty with China. Putrajaya is now using back-channel communications with Beijing to try to seek Low’s return to Malaysia, WSJ reports.

Low is a confidant of Najib Razak, who is now being investigated in relation to SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary and one of the entities through which money allegedly stolen from 1MDB was channelled into the former prime minister’s bank accounts.

Earlier today, Dr Mahathir said it would be legally difficult to absolve Low of responsibility for the 1MDB scandal in return for his cooperation in tracking down where the money went. – June 14, 2018.