Najib & his strong wife Rosmah with 17 charges in Court over money laundering

> https://youtu.be/tMl-fpyH388

https://youtu.be/rh39urccnYw


PUTRAJAYA: In an unprecedented turn of events, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will both be in court today.

After spending a night in the MACC lockup, investigators are bringing Rosmah to the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur to face a slew of money laundering charges while the case management for one of Najib’s cases will take place at the same time.

Najib is facing some 32 charges including criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering of funds linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd and its offshoot, SRC International Sdn Bhd.

So far, Najib has been brought to court three times to face charges since July 4.

As for Rosmah, today will be the first time she will be formally charged in relation to money laundering activities.

It is believed that Rosmah could be slapped with up to 20 charges.

Rosmah, 67, will go down in Malaysian history as the first wife of a prime minister to be indicted.

The arrest came after she was questioned for more than four hours yesterday morning at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here.

The Star, followed by other media, broke the news of her arrest after the lunch break yesterday.

At 3.20pm, MACC confirmed her arrest.

The MACC made the arrest after being given the go-ahead by the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The commission also said that Rosmah would be charged under Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

However, Rosmah’s lawyers said they were unaware of the charges that would be brought on their client.

“We were only informed by the MACC of her arrest and that she would be brought to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to be charged tomorrow.

“They did not tell us the nature of the charges,” said Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent.

The media who were stationed outside the MACC building from 9am waited for Rosmah who was called in for questioning for the third time since June 5.

The investigations are related to the trail of funds from 1MDB and SRC International.

She arrived at the MACC headquarters at 10.42am, dressed in a light green baju kurung and a matching selendang.

As she walked past the crowd of reporters, she appeared calm and even stopped to shake hands.

Sources said that Najib was informed of his wife’s arrest.

“He appeared calm,” said a source when asked on Najib’s reaction to the news of Rosmah’s arrest.

Asked about Rosmah’s condition, Geethan said: “She’s ok.”

Rosmah was first called to the MACC on June 5 to answer questions on SRC International Sdn Bhd.

On Sept 26 and yesterday, she was interrogated over the 1MDB scandal and money laundering.

The first inkling of Rosmah being charged was on Sept 24 after MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull was quoted as saying that the investigations on her had been completed and the report had been submitted to the Attorney General.

He said then that it was up to the AG to prosecute Rosmah.

Yesterday, Najib was also detained for questioning on matters related to 1MDB but in another location and by a different law enforcement agency.

While Rosmah was in MACC, Najib was giving his statement at the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Prevention Unit (Amla) headquarters at Menara KPJ in Jalan Tun Razak.

Pemantau Malaysia Baru president Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who is also an Umno supreme council member, announced the day before on Facebook that Najib would be called in by the police at 10am yesterday.

Najib was taken into the building through a side entrance after he arrived at Menara KPJ at about 11am, giving the media the slip.

He managed to evade the press when he left the building from the elevated car park at 1.05pm, nearly three hours after he came to the Amla headquarters.

Yesterday morning, a white luxury MPV was seen leaving the couple’s house in Jalan Langgak Duta earlier in the morning.

However, it was not known whether it was transporting the couple or either one of them.

Prior to his questioning at Menara KPJ yesterday, Najib, who is Pekan Member of Parliament, was called up on Aug 27 and 30 and then on Sept 30 to have his statement recorded on the case.

In both instances, it was with the MACC.

Exactly a week ago on Sept 26, Rosmah was called in for a second round of questioning – this time on 1MDB – which lasted 13 hours, also at the MACC.

Credit: mazwin nik anis, joseph kaos jr, royce tan, vincent tan,  and chu mei fong The Star

 The 17 charges on Rosmah - MalaysiaGazette

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was being charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. PIC: AFIQ RAZALI / Malaysia Gazette / 4 OCTOBER 2018 

By Mohd Zaini Samsu Hadi
KUALA LUMPUR – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was slapped with 17 charges on money-laundering involving a total of RM7 million.

Following are the list of charges on Rosmah:

• Depositing RM200,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 4 December 2013
• Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 15 December 2013
• Depositing RM200,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 23 December 2013
• Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 28 January 2014
• Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 29 January 2014
• Depositing RM200,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 28 February 2014
• Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 14 March 2014
• Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 8 April 2014
• Depositing RM1.6 million from illegal activities into personal account through 8 transactions between 4 September 2014 and 22 December 2014
• Depositing RM3.85 million from illegal activities into personal account through 127 transactions between 21 January 2015 to 12 December 2015.
• Depositing RM510,000 from illegal activities into personal account through 87 transactions between 28 January 2016 and 7 November 2016
• Depositing RM30,000 from illegal activities into personal account through 5 transactions between 28 March 2017 and 8 June 2017
• Failure to declare RM500,000 deposited into her personal account between 4 December 2013 and 23 December 2013 as required by the Income Tax Act
• Failure to declare RM2.2 million deposited into her personal account between 28 January 2014 and 22 December 2014 as required by the Income Tax Act
• Failure to declare RM3.85 million deposited into her personal account between 21 January 2015 and 12 December 2015 as required by the Income Tax Act
• Failure to declare RM510,000 deposited into her personal account between 28 January 2016 and 7 November 2016 as required by the Income Tax Act
• Failure to declare RM30,000 deposited into her personal account between 29 March 2017 and 8 June 2017 as required by the Income Tax Act

Rosmah was charged according to Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001,
She shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fifteen years and shall also be liable to a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity or instrumentalities of an offence at the time the offence was committed or five million ringgit, whichever is the higher upon conviction. – MalaysiaGazette

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The first wife of an ex-PM to be charged 

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Najib's wife Rosmah says she is okay after 13 hours long grilled by anti corruption agency over 1MDB

Najib's wife Rosmah says she is okay after 13 hours long grilled by anti corruption agency over 1MDB

https://youtu.be/aGMpsnADOpU 

When asked for comment, she said: “I’m okay. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).”

Wife of ex-PM questioned by MACC for 13 hours over 1MDB

While MACC investigators question Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at length, believed to be over the 1MDB saga, a Dubai-based firm wants RM20.69 mil in bling back. The royal jeweller claims that he could bring his exquisite masterpieces to the ex-premier’s wife without having to go through Customs – thanks to officers from the PM’s Department. PUTRAJAYA: It proved to be a long, gruelling day for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as anti-graft officers interrogated her for 13 hours.

She entered the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here at 9.50am yesterday.

Speculation was rife that the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be held overnight and charged today.

But at 10.40pm last night, Rosmah emerged from the MACC headquarters. Although she looked exhausted, the 66-year-old afforded a meek smile to waiting journalists outside the building.

When asked for comment, she said: “I’m okay. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).”

Her lawyers Datuk K. Kumaraendran and Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent said Rosmah would not be returning for further questioning.

“Datin Seri Rosmah has finished giving her statement. I will not comment further,” said Kumaraendran.

On June 5, Rosmah was questioned for about five hours by MACC investigators over a probe into SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) subsidiary.

The latest interrogation is believed to evolve around the 1MDB scandal.

Rosmah looked calm when she alighted from a Proton Perdana and walked past a horde of journalists who converged outside the MACC building earlier in the morning.

Her attire and accessories were the centre of attention, as she had colour coordinated her green baju kurung and tudung with a Loewe designer handbag and wedge shoes.

The last time out, she wore a blue baju kurung and red tudung, with her bright red Versace handbag drawing the most stares.

Throughout the day, her lawyers were seen coming in and out of the MACC building at least three times.

As is the practice, lawyers are usually not allowed in the interrogation room. Both spoke of their long wait as journalists tried to find out from them how long the questioning would take.

This was the second time Rosmah had been questioned by the MACC.

Last Thursday, Najib was slapped with 25 fresh corruption and money-laundering charges. He was granted bail of RM3.5mil with two sureties in his latest court case.

Investigators have not ruled out that Najib as well as other individuals could be faced with even more charges related to the 1MDB case. - The Star

Related story:

 
 EVENING 5
Rosmah & Arul in police crosshairs


Long, gruelling day for Rosmah - Nation

Another jeweller wants bling back

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Najib's wife Rosmah says she is okay after 13 hours long grilled by anti corruption agency over 1MDB

https://youtu.be/aGMpsnADOpU 

When asked for comment, she said: “I’m okay. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).”

Wife of ex-PM questioned by MACC for 13 hours over 1MDB

While MACC investigators question Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at length, believed to be over the 1MDB saga, a Dubai-based firm wants RM20.69 mil in bling back. The royal jeweller claims that he could bring his exquisite masterpieces to the ex-premier’s wife without having to go through Customs – thanks to officers from the PM’s Department. PUTRAJAYA: It proved to be a long, gruelling day for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as anti-graft officers interrogated her for 13 hours.

She entered the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here at 9.50am yesterday.

Speculation was rife that the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be held overnight and charged today.

But at 10.40pm last night, Rosmah emerged from the MACC headquarters. Although she looked exhausted, the 66-year-old afforded a meek smile to waiting journalists outside the building.

When asked for comment, she said: “I’m okay. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).”

Her lawyers Datuk K. Kumaraendran and Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent said Rosmah would not be returning for further questioning.

“Datin Seri Rosmah has finished giving her statement. I will not comment further,” said Kumaraendran.

On June 5, Rosmah was questioned for about five hours by MACC investigators over a probe into SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) subsidiary.

The latest interrogation is believed to evolve around the 1MDB scandal.

Rosmah looked calm when she alighted from a Proton Perdana and walked past a horde of journalists who converged outside the MACC building earlier in the morning.

Her attire and accessories were the centre of attention, as she had colour coordinated her green baju kurung and tudung with a Loewe designer handbag and wedge shoes.

The last time out, she wore a blue baju kurung and red tudung, with her bright red Versace handbag drawing the most stares.

Throughout the day, her lawyers were seen coming in and out of the MACC building at least three times.

As is the practice, lawyers are usually not allowed in the interrogation room. Both spoke of their long wait as journalists tried to find out from them how long the questioning would take.

This was the second time Rosmah had been questioned by the MACC.

Last Thursday, Najib was slapped with 25 fresh corruption and money-laundering charges. He was granted bail of RM3.5mil with two sureties in his latest court case.

Investigators have not ruled out that Najib as well as other individuals could be faced with even more charges related to the 1MDB case. - The Star

Related story:

 
 EVENING 5

Long, gruelling day for Rosmah - Nation

Another jeweller wants bling back

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Najib is guilty of incompetence, he says: board to be blamed for 1MDB debacle, not me, I don't know !

Still waiting on election promises

iv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

Will the Government deliver or are rosy pledges meant to be broken anyway?

PEOPLE are still harping on election manifesto promises which the new coalition has yet to fulfil.

In the wake of the 14th general election, the 100-day manifesto of Pakatan Harapan is being scrutinised.

Does anyone remember the promises made before GE13 or GE12 or any other election before that?

Remember the Penang Bridge toll promises?

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak came to town and promised free passage across the bridge for motorcycles.

Hours later, the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng cleverly upped the ante and promised that the bridge would be completely toll- free.

In Malaysian lingo, we call this ‘wayang’ or political theatrics.

I found it all very entertaining. I looked forward to each retort from the opposite side.

We should not be like children and cry: “But mummy, you promised!”

Now, Pakatan Harapan did fulfil some of their promises.

The Government abolished the goods and services tax and an earnest hunt has begun for those responsible for the 1MDB controversy.

As for the other promises, maybe not yet? Or at a later date?

You cannot fault Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for being honest. He told the world Pakatan could not fulfil all the promises in its manifesto because it did not expect to win!

So the politicians were just putting on a show and we, the audience, bought front-row tickets to the ‘wayang’.

Dr Mahathir would know. Can anyone remember any of the manifesto promises that were never fulfilled during his previous 22-year tenure or during the last 10 years under Najib?

I don’t and I have been around for more than three decades, starting my working life the year Mahathir came to power in 1981.

If elections were won just on fulfilling manifestos, Barisan would not have been able to rule for 60 years because there has been volumes of unfulfilled promises.

Elections are usually won on negative rather than positive elements.

We have a saying in the newsroom: people wanna read about sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

At The Star Online, stories along those lines get astronomical level hits.

In politics, seats tend to be won by candidates who can portray how bad the other guy is!

People want to be shocked by scandals, not lulled by promises.

So we do not have to lament the unfulfilled promises.

It is a universal issue which is not confined to Third World countries as even presidential elections in developed countries are won the same way.

One which comes to recent memory is the United States’ presidential elections in 2016.

Everyone thought Hilary Clinton would triumph but Donald Trump ran a smear campaign on her.

People heard all about her leaked emails and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s case on her.

Both candidates spent millions of dollars taking out advertisements in newspapers and on television.

The focus was more on showing how bad the other candidate would be for the country rather than what they would do if elected.

So for all those who are still hung up on Pakatan promises, forget it.

You can shout until the cows come home and nothing is going to happen.

But they still have four years to make good on their promises, before power comes back to us.

They could be saving the best promises for last. Maybe?

Credit: Pinang points R. Sekaran

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Still waiting on election promises

Will the Government deliver or are rosy pledges meant to be broken anyway?

PEOPLE are still harping on election manifesto promises which the new coalition has yet to fulfil.

In the wake of the 14th general election, the 100-day manifesto of Pakatan Harapan is being scrutinised.

Does anyone remember the promises made before GE13 or GE12 or any other election before that?

Remember the Penang Bridge toll promises?

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak came to town and promised free passage across the bridge for motorcycles.

Hours later, the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng cleverly upped the ante and promised that the bridge would be completely toll- free.

In Malaysian lingo, we call this ‘wayang’ or political theatrics.

I found it all very entertaining. I looked forward to each retort from the opposite side.

We should not be like children and cry: “But mummy, you promised!”

Now, Pakatan Harapan did fulfil some of their promises.

The Government abolished the goods and services tax and an earnest hunt has begun for those responsible for the 1MDB controversy.

As for the other promises, maybe not yet? Or at a later date?

You cannot fault Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for being honest. He told the world Pakatan could not fulfil all the promises in its manifesto because it did not expect to win!

So the politicians were just putting on a show and we, the audience, bought front-row tickets to the ‘wayang’.

Dr Mahathir would know. Can anyone remember any of the manifesto promises that were never fulfilled during his previous 22-year tenure or during the last 10 years under Najib?

I don’t and I have been around for more than three decades, starting my working life the year Mahathir came to power in 1981.

If elections were won just on fulfilling manifestos, Barisan would not have been able to rule for 60 years because there has been volumes of unfulfilled promises.

Elections are usually won on negative rather than positive elements.

We have a saying in the newsroom: people wanna read about sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

At The Star Online, stories along those lines get astronomical level hits.

In politics, seats tend to be won by candidates who can portray how bad the other guy is!

People want to be shocked by scandals, not lulled by promises.

So we do not have to lament the unfulfilled promises.

It is a universal issue which is not confined to Third World countries as even presidential elections in developed countries are won the same way.

One which comes to recent memory is the United States’ presidential elections in 2016.

Everyone thought Hilary Clinton would triumph but Donald Trump ran a smear campaign on her.

People heard all about her leaked emails and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s case on her.

Both candidates spent millions of dollars taking out advertisements in newspapers and on television.

The focus was more on showing how bad the other candidate would be for the country rather than what they would do if elected.

So for all those who are still hung up on Pakatan promises, forget it.

You can shout until the cows come home and nothing is going to happen.

But they still have four years to make good on their promises, before power comes back to us.

They could be saving the best promises for last. Maybe?

Credit: Pinang points R. Sekaran

Related posts:

Jobs ahead for Pakatan's first 100 days fiscal reform

Get-rich-quick schemes thriving in Penang: many losers

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IJM hill clearing & Trehaus construction damaged nearby houses since 2014 must be mitigated quickly!

Wising up to a Billion Dollar Whale of a tale

Wising up to a whale of a tale

 

Once upon a time, Malaysians were enchanted with Jho Lows champagne lifestyle and proud that he had friends in high places. We now know better.

IF a poll was conducted to ask Malaysians to name their 10 most hated people, Low Taek Jho – also known as Jho Low – would surely be in the top five, if not three.

There has been a quick succession of books on the 1Malaysia Dev­elopment Bhd (1MDB) saga and in the one by two Wall Street Journal reporters, Billion Dollar Whale, Low is the central villainous character.

Yet for a brief shining moment, this man was the pride of his home state and the nation.

Then Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng was reported as saying that he was proud to note the accomplishments of overseas Pen­angites, including this particularly “well-connected” fellow.

That was back in July 2010 when a mysterious Malaysian man of means started hitting the headlines for partying with the likes of Paris Hilton, and counted actors Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio and singer Usher as his good friends.

When Hilton – the glamour party girl before the Kardashians overtook her – was detained by drug enforcement officers in Paris in 2010, she was reportedly travelling with “personalities close to power in Malay­sia”, Low being identified as one of them.

In just three months, his champagne-infused big spending ways – US$50,000 (RM206,800) or US$60,000 (RM248,190) a pop – set New York’s nightlife scene on fire and caught the attention of the US media. And that was how Low became famous.

Oh wait! He’s Malaysian, not some little emperor from Shanghai or Shen­zhen, so we puffed up with pride at the success of one of our own.

Somehow, the ability to party with the rich and famous became a yardstick for success. The assumption was that Low must have done something great to be so filthy rich and make such “friends”.

Low, then 28, became a subject of intense curiosity that Malaysian and foreign media wanted to know.

Then The Star landed an exclusive interview with him. The two hours with him provided enough fodder for stories spread over two days on July 29 and 30, 2010.

The interview covered topics like his Arab childhood friends and investors whom he said were the real big spenders, how he made his first million when he was just 20 and his expertise in setting up sovereign wealth funds.

Yes, we were pretty pleased with ourselves for beating the competition in getting Low to speak.

The interview was picked up by other newspapers and portals locally, regionally and internationally.

The Star took efforts to provide Low’s personal details like his age, birthplace, education and languages spoken.

What I also found amusing was that we also gave his height (1.7m) and his weight (88kg), which is not common for such interviews. That was probably our nice way of indicating how chubby he was.

The stories were positive pieces, painting Low as a successful role model. Of course, at that time, no one suspected that he was the mastermind behind the world’s biggest kleptocracy.

We were simply dazzled by his partying playboy high life and accepted in good faith all his claims on why he was successful: he went to the right schools, from Chung Ling to Wharton School of Business, made well-connected, influential friends (especially Arab royals) and got a great financial start.

As The Star reported: “At the age of 20, (he) started an investment company called The Wynton Group with US$25mil (RM103.4mil) from family and South-East Asian and Middle Eastern friends. The investment company in which he owns a stake is now worth in excess of US$1bil (RM4.1bil).”

Penang businessman Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, a close family friend, described Low as a very bright person who respected his elders.

He was also “an active person, has a corporate brain and his public relations skills are equally good. He’s also quite a fast eater.

“I watched him grow up since he was a kid and I knew he was brilliant, but I never thought he would be so successful,” said Tan.

A reader who was so impressed by the Star exclusive blogged about his son having studied in Harrow in Bangkok and opined: “He (the son) is certainly no Jho Low, but I hope he can learn the positives from Jho’s life and work hard and be successful.”

Well, we now know better how Low operated and whose money he was spending on his celebrity friends and more.

From the man with the Midas touch, he has become the embarrassment no famous person wants to touch. I doubt Hilton or Usher takes his calls anymore. He is a fugitive on the lam, hunted by governments around the globe.

Much as he is furiously claiming innocence, he is indeed our billion-dollar whale. The whale is a metaphor in business, meaning to land large accounts that can transform a small company into a major player.

A whale can also mean a businessman who is close to a country’s regime, is protected by the state and receives government contracts and large bank loans without any collateral, as explained in the book, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty.

The maddening fact is this portly plunderer is hard to find. He apparently has multiple passports, including one from St Kitts and Nevis.

It’s very possible he is no longer 88kg. He could be thinner or fatter – depending on whether stress makes him eat even more and faster – or had plastic surgery, grown or lost his hair, but he should still be 1.7m tall, unless he wears hidden heels in his shoes.

Our government has said it is not sure where he’s hiding, but with Malaysians in just about every corner of the world, can we not somehow tap into this vast network? Even a whale must surface for air somehow, somewhere.

What really got my goat was what he glibly said in the Star interview: “Ultimately, I am Malaysian. I am one who does not forget my country and I think there is a lot we can do for Malaysia. But when you build the trust of investors, you need to deliver what you promised.

“For me, we all work very hard. Of course, we have a disadvantage where at our age, people may perceive it differently. At the end of the day, I handle investors’ money prudently. I generate returns for them.”

And this: “I am not an excessive person. Excessiveness with alcohol is just not me.”

No, not in alcohol but his name is now synonymous with excessiveness in luxury acquisitions.

Oh, where’s Capt Ahab when we need him?

Aunty wants to remind all of us that truly, all that glitters is not gold. Feedback to aunty@thestar.com.my
Credit:  June H. L Wong, So aunty, so what?


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Wising up to a Billion Dollar Whale of a tale

Wising up to a whale of a tale

 

Once upon a time, Malaysians were enchanted with Jho Lows champagne lifestyle and proud that he had friends in high places. We now know better.

IF a poll was conducted to ask Malaysians to name their 10 most hated people, Low Taek Jho – also known as Jho Low – would surely be in the top five, if not three.

There has been a quick succession of books on the 1Malaysia Dev­elopment Bhd (1MDB) saga and in the one by two Wall Street Journal reporters, Billion Dollar Whale, Low is the central villainous character.

Yet for a brief shining moment, this man was the pride of his home state and the nation.

Then Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng was reported as saying that he was proud to note the accomplishments of overseas Pen­angites, including this particularly “well-connected” fellow.

That was back in July 2010 when a mysterious Malaysian man of means started hitting the headlines for partying with the likes of Paris Hilton, and counted actors Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio and singer Usher as his good friends.

When Hilton – the glamour party girl before the Kardashians overtook her – was detained by drug enforcement officers in Paris in 2010, she was reportedly travelling with “personalities close to power in Malay­sia”, Low being identified as one of them.

In just three months, his champagne-infused big spending ways – US$50,000 (RM206,800) or US$60,000 (RM248,190) a pop – set New York’s nightlife scene on fire and caught the attention of the US media. And that was how Low became famous.

Oh wait! He’s Malaysian, not some little emperor from Shanghai or Shen­zhen, so we puffed up with pride at the success of one of our own.

Somehow, the ability to party with the rich and famous became a yardstick for success. The assumption was that Low must have done something great to be so filthy rich and make such “friends”.

Low, then 28, became a subject of intense curiosity that Malaysian and foreign media wanted to know.

Then The Star landed an exclusive interview with him. The two hours with him provided enough fodder for stories spread over two days on July 29 and 30, 2010.

The interview covered topics like his Arab childhood friends and investors whom he said were the real big spenders, how he made his first million when he was just 20 and his expertise in setting up sovereign wealth funds.

Yes, we were pretty pleased with ourselves for beating the competition in getting Low to speak.

The interview was picked up by other newspapers and portals locally, regionally and internationally.

The Star took efforts to provide Low’s personal details like his age, birthplace, education and languages spoken.

What I also found amusing was that we also gave his height (1.7m) and his weight (88kg), which is not common for such interviews. That was probably our nice way of indicating how chubby he was.

The stories were positive pieces, painting Low as a successful role model. Of course, at that time, no one suspected that he was the mastermind behind the world’s biggest kleptocracy.

We were simply dazzled by his partying playboy high life and accepted in good faith all his claims on why he was successful: he went to the right schools, from Chung Ling to Wharton School of Business, made well-connected, influential friends (especially Arab royals) and got a great financial start.

As The Star reported: “At the age of 20, (he) started an investment company called The Wynton Group with US$25mil (RM103.4mil) from family and South-East Asian and Middle Eastern friends. The investment company in which he owns a stake is now worth in excess of US$1bil (RM4.1bil).”

Penang businessman Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, a close family friend, described Low as a very bright person who respected his elders.

He was also “an active person, has a corporate brain and his public relations skills are equally good. He’s also quite a fast eater.

“I watched him grow up since he was a kid and I knew he was brilliant, but I never thought he would be so successful,” said Tan.

A reader who was so impressed by the Star exclusive blogged about his son having studied in Harrow in Bangkok and opined: “He (the son) is certainly no Jho Low, but I hope he can learn the positives from Jho’s life and work hard and be successful.”

Well, we now know better how Low operated and whose money he was spending on his celebrity friends and more.

From the man with the Midas touch, he has become the embarrassment no famous person wants to touch. I doubt Hilton or Usher takes his calls anymore. He is a fugitive on the lam, hunted by governments around the globe.

Much as he is furiously claiming innocence, he is indeed our billion-dollar whale. The whale is a metaphor in business, meaning to land large accounts that can transform a small company into a major player.

A whale can also mean a businessman who is close to a country’s regime, is protected by the state and receives government contracts and large bank loans without any collateral, as explained in the book, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty.

The maddening fact is this portly plunderer is hard to find. He apparently has multiple passports, including one from St Kitts and Nevis.

It’s very possible he is no longer 88kg. He could be thinner or fatter – depending on whether stress makes him eat even more and faster – or had plastic surgery, grown or lost his hair, but he should still be 1.7m tall, unless he wears hidden heels in his shoes.

Our government has said it is not sure where he’s hiding, but with Malaysians in just about every corner of the world, can we not somehow tap into this vast network? Even a whale must surface for air somehow, somewhere.

What really got my goat was what he glibly said in the Star interview: “Ultimately, I am Malaysian. I am one who does not forget my country and I think there is a lot we can do for Malaysia. But when you build the trust of investors, you need to deliver what you promised.

“For me, we all work very hard. Of course, we have a disadvantage where at our age, people may perceive it differently. At the end of the day, I handle investors’ money prudently. I generate returns for them.”

And this: “I am not an excessive person. Excessiveness with alcohol is just not me.”

No, not in alcohol but his name is now synonymous with excessiveness in luxury acquisitions.

Oh, where’s Capt Ahab when we need him?

Aunty wants to remind all of us that truly, all that glitters is not gold. Feedback to aunty@thestar.com.my
Credit:  June H. L Wong, So aunty, so what?


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1MDB scandal: Cops charge Lows, How Low will Jho go? He proclaims innocence!

Credit: The Edge

'He helped, among others, bring down a government that had ruled for 61 years, helped bring criminal charges against a former premier and friend, and catalyzed the return of a 93 year old man to power... - S. Jayasankaran'

 

https://youtu.be/txYy9oVWGCw

Headline News

Cops file charges against the Lows  

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have filed criminal charges against businessman Low Taek Jho and his father for offences under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 over money allegedly stolen from 1Malay­sia Development Bhd (1MDB).

A source said the charges were filed in absentia by the police with the sanction of the Attorney Gen­eral’s Chambers at the Putrajaya Sessions Court yesterday morning.

According to the charge sheets made available to The Star, Low – also known as Jho Low – is facing eight counts of money laundering.

In the first, second and third charges, the 37-year-old allegedly received US$261,449,960 from unlawful activities into his BSI Bank Limited account.

In the fourth to eighth charges, he allegedly transferred €41,100,073.22 and US$140,636,225.10 into the account of World View Limited, Caymans Island, in Caledonian Bank Limited, Caymans Island.

The offences were allegedly committed at BSI Bank Limited, No.7, Temasek Boulevard, #32-01 Suntec Tower One, Singapore, between Dec 26, 2013, and June 3, 2014.

Jho Low’s father Tan Sri Low Hock Peng, 66, also faces a charge of money laundering where he allegedly transferred monies from unlawful activity amounting to US$56,449,980 from his bank account into his son’s BSI Bank Limited account.

He allegedly committed the offence at the same BSI Bank Limited on Feb 4, 2014.

All the charges were under Section 4(1)(a) of the Act, which carries a fine up to RM5mil, imprisonment for a term up to five years, or both, upon conviction.

The source said police also applied for warrants of arrest for Jho Low and his father.

The source said a portion of the money was used to purchase the luxury yacht Equanimity, which was seized by Malaysia two weeks ago.

Under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code, an absent person with no immediate prospect of arrest may be tried by the court for an offence in his absence.

In a related development, Inspec­tor-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the new charges enabled the Royal Malaysia Police to obtain new warrants of arrest for Jho Low and his father.

“From there, we will ask Interpol to issue a fresh Red Notice alert on the duo. The Red Notice will seek the cooperation of relevant countries in tracking down the wanted persons,” he told The Star.

The Red Notice will also expedite the extradition process, which will be handled by the Attorney General’s Chambers, and to bring the duo back to Malaysia, he said.

“Our priority has always been to track them down and detain them as soon as possible,” he added.

Based on the charge sheets seen by The Star, journalists visited Jho Low’s family home in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, but no one appeared to be home.- The Star.

Related stories:

Court grants application to sell ‘Equanimity’

https://youtu.be/ZTxFxf_oS0U

Impossible to get fair trial in Malaysia, says Jho Low

Jho Low up in arms over fire sale of superyacht

 Statement by Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd

Despite being owners of the yacht in question, Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd. has received no legally valid notice of any filing related to a Sale Pendente Lite, nor any notice of a pending court hearing in the matter. This would be a requirement under law.

We also note that there are ongoing proceedings before U.S. courts – including a U.S. appellate court – regarding the ownership and custody of the asset, with active requests filed before a U.S. judge within the past 24 hours. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Justice submitted a filing in the U.S. court less than one week ago. For Malaysia to act unilaterally while there are pending court requests in the U.S. would be an affront to the international rule of law. In fact, Malaysia’s seizure of the vessel is already contrary to a U.S. court order appointing the U.S. Government as custodian of the yacht.

The U.S. has previously stated that it had no advance knowledge of Malaysia’s seizure of the yacht, and presumably the U.S. had no advance notice of this current Malaysian action either. It is important to note that, despite conflicting statements coming out of the Malaysian government, the U.S. has not proven its case regarding the Equanimity. The U.S. has only filed unproven allegations in court proceedings, after which the U.S. put the entire case on hold over Claimants’ objections. The result of that is that no party has been able to substantively respond to the allegations, and nor has the U.S. been required to prove them.

In addition, it is indisputably clear that Malaysia’s seizure of the vessel and apparent intent to immediately sell it goes entirely against the interests of the yacht and will drastically reduce – indeed, it is already drastically reducing – its potential sale value. Due to the Malaysian government’s precipitous, ill-conceived, and misguided actions, the yacht is running 24 hours per day, 7 days a week on generator power, which is unsustainable and harmful to the vessel. Moreover, Malaysia has currently docked the yacht in a hazardous environment in which toxins such as water pollution and nearby smoke are greatly damaging it. Because Malaysia apparently does not have – or does not want to spend – the necessary funds to properly maintain the vessel while it is prepared for a value-maximizing sale, Malaysia has instead proposed a “fire sale,” in which the yacht is to be sold for a fraction of its true value.

To move for a sale in Malaysia immediately would be a remarkable violation of due process and international legal comity and would call into question the actual ownership of the yacht for any potential buyer. These misguided actions would create a cloud on the Equanimity’s ownership that could easily take years to resolve in several courts around the world.

Tsuey Shan Ho

Account Manager
Tel +44 (0)20 7092 3992

How Low will Jho go?

Superyacht: A file picture showing seized luxury yacht Equanimity being brought to the Boustead Cruise Terminal in Port Klang on Aug 7. — Reuters

A man who has never gone to school may steal from a railcar but a man who has gone to a university may steal the entire railroad –- former US President Theodore Roosevelt

FUGITIVE businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, 38, has described Malaysia’s legal proceedings to quickly sell the Equanimity superyacht as a vindictive “sham”.

According to the rotund reprobate, it was a sham because the boat’s ownership was also being contested in the courts of the United States so the ‘hasty” Malaysian admiralty hearing was, at best, iffy.

But what the corpulent conman seemed not to want to concede was that both governments agreed – unequivocally, unarguably and emphatically – that the yacht was not his to roam the oceans with.

They both agreed that the RM1bil boat was bought with monies that were skimmed out of a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

Our man Jho has since been keeping a low profile, so low that no one seems to know where the fat fugitive is.

You might say he was distracted: the bulging bandit even left a multi-million dollar private jet back in Singapore and he hadn’t even complained, once, of the uncivil way the authorities just left it out in the sun for over nine months!

In this case, however, the pudgy pirate brought forth his spokespeople to complain about the way the yacht was kept “under the sun” in polluted waters, and with its batteries running 24/7. In short, it was not being treated as a superyacht should have been.

He should be consistent and set forth similar arguments about his private jet. Did I forget to mention that Singapore issued a warrant of arrest for him way back when?

In fairness to our man Jho, he has maintained that he has not stolen anything at all and all the money was his family’s inheritance to begin with.

The problem with that is that at least three countries – the US, Malaysia and Singapore – disagree with its reasoning. Another problem would be his absence from places where people want to ask him hard questions.

It is said that a fool and his money are soon parted. But Fat Boy and Other People’s Money was soon partying and the money seemed endless.

Mario Puzo, the author of the Godfather, put it like this: “A lawyer with a briefcase can steal millions more than a hundred men with guns.”

Let’s face it. He lived, what the Eagles called, Life in the Fast Lane.

He had a private jet and a superyacht.

He had palatial homes all over the world.

He dated Hollywood actresses.

He helped bankroll a Hollywood blockbuster.

He helped bring down a government that had ruled for 61 years, helped bring criminal charges against a former premier and friend, and catalysed the return of a 93 year old man to power.

He may have had more citizenships than Caesar.

And – wonder of wonders - he had no official position in 1 Malaysia Development Bhd. His name must surely resonate in future history books.

Breaking news! Just got word that Fat Boy and his father have been charged by the Attorney General’s Chambers for money laundering offences involving RM1bil, funds that were allegedly used to buy the yacht.

This will make Malaysia the first country to charge our man Jho. Not bad for an Attorney General who was said to “know nothing” of criminal law.

Now we know why they say money launderers are filthy rich.

What will the dodgy deviant say now?

Catch me if you can?

By S. Jayasankaran

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