MALAYSIAN police are working with the embassy of China in Kuala Lumpur as well as Malaysia’s embassy in Beijing to determine the whereabouts of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.

Inspector-General of Police Fuzi Harun said this following reports that the Penang-born businessman, better known as Jho Low, was said to be have been arrested in China yesterday. The reports had yet to be confirmed.

“I can’t confirm the arrest but after the news broke out, we contacted the Chinese embassy here as well as our office in China.

“We will exchange information and we have checked with China on the issue,” Fuzi said in Kuala Lumpur today.

Yesterday, Fuzi said he could not confirm reports that the confidante of former prime minister Najib Razak had been arrested in China.

“I cannot respond to it. I do not have information on that,” he had said.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also yesterday said he was in the dark over the matter when cornered by the press.

Dr Mahathir said he had no knowledge of the situation but said he hoped the flamboyant businessman would be arrested soon. 

Early last month, Malaysia issued a warrant for Low’s arrest, as well as for Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, a director of SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd that had channelled funds to Najib’s bank accounts.

The US Department of Justice alleged that the funds came from US$6.5 billion raised in bonds by Goldman Sachs for 1MDB.

Low is a central figure in the 1MDB scandal and was a close associate of Najib’s. The super yacht Equanimity, said to belong to him, was recently seized by Indonesian police in Bali as part of the DoJ’s moves to seize assets allegedly acquired with 1MDB funds. – July 20, 2018.