Mahathir not aware that Jho Low arrested

(FMT) – Authorities in Malaysia are in the dark over whether Low Taek Jho, the Malaysian businessman wanted in connection to the 1MDB scandal, has been arrested. 

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he was not aware of the development, but welcomed the news.

“I didn’t know. Thank you for giving me the information. I hope he is arrested and brought back to Malaysia,” Mahathir told reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat.

He said while Malaysia does not have an extradition treaty with China, Beijing could still hand Low, better known as Jho Low, over to Malaysian authorities.

“All I know is that he is jumping from place to place to avoid arrest. If it’s true that he has been arrested, we must find out what for by the Chinese authorities.”

Low is wanted by the authorities over his role in the 1MDB scandal.

A Hong Kong radio station was cited by Sarawak Report as saying that he had been arrested in China.

Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun, meanwhile, said he was still trying to get details on the reported arrest.

“I cannot confirm it. I will check details on it immediately,” he told reporters in Petaling Jaya.

The Immigration Department recently cancelled Low’s Malaysian passport, but the businessman is believed to also carry a passport issued by Saint Kitts and Nevis, an island in the West Indies.