Malaysian government file formal request for Macau police to arrest fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho

The alleged mastermind behind the 1MDB scandal has been in hiding in Macau after leaving Hong Kong

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Jho Low has denied involvement in any 1MDB corruption. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 5:30pm, 10 Jul 2018Updated: 10:09pm, 10 Jul 2018

The net appears to be tightening around fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho after police in Macau confirmed they had received a “request” for his arrest from the Malaysian government.

Judiciary Police in the world’s richest casino hub confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Interpol Macau, a subdivision of Interpol Beijing, received “the request of the relevant country (Malaysia)” regarding Low, 37, a key figure in the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal who the South China Morning Post revealed three days ago had slipped out of Hong Kong with his family and was hiding out in Macau.

In a brief statement, the city’s Judiciary Police told the Macau News Agency that they were currently verifying the content of the request and will provide the information requested by Malaysia.

At a press conference in Gelang Patah on Monday, a minister of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) of Malaysia, Lim Kit Siang, criticised previous prime minister Najib Razak for not sending out a notice for Low’s arrest while the suspect was in Hong Kong, despite there being an Interpol red notice filed against him.

Lim cited the Post’s earlier report which showed the Malaysian police had not formally requested Low’s arrest from the Hong Kong police, adding that the Malaysian billionaire had stayed in an upscale Hong Kong flat in Pacific Place – also revealed by the Post – before leaving for Macau.

Authorities are closing in on Jho Low. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong police would not have been under any obligation to arrest the suspect unless a formal request was made.

Malaysia’s Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun had said that Low was in Macau but police were unable to extract him as the city does not have an extradition agreement with Malaysia.