The fugitive businessman accused of masterminding the looting of Malaysia’s state investment fund has launched a website to defend himself following publication of a new book about the scandal.
Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, is the subject of Billion Dollar Whale, written by two Wall Street Journal reporters who also broke many of the original stories about the scandal at 1Malaysian Development Berhad (1MDB).
On the website, Jho-Low.com, the 36-year-old financier and “philanthropist” said he wanted to address a series of allegations in relation to 1MDB, from which as much as $5 billion was stolen.
Authorities in Kuala Lumpur have asked Interpol to help with the arrest of Low. He is believed to be seeking asylum in China, which does not have an extradition treaty with Malaysia.
Low said many of the allegations made about him originated from blog posts, “improper” leaks from within government agencies around the world, or unproven allegations filed in court, where he has “never been afforded an opportunity to set the record straight”.
“Let me be clear: I am innocent,” he wrote on the website.
Published this week, Billion Dollar Whale details the jet-setting antics of Low, including an over-the-top party -- even by Las Vegas standards -- where Britney Spears sang Happy Birthday, Psy performed Gangnam Style and Leonardo DiCaprio rapped on stage.
The Wolf of Wall Street, starring DiCaprio, was produced by the stepson of former Malaysian premier Najib Razak, allegedly with money diverted by Low from 1MDB.
Najib, whose defeat in the Malaysian general election was attributed partly to public disgust with corruption, is now facing multiple criminal charges.
Low has claimed he had little or nothing to do with 1MDB, but investigators believe he was the financier and person who laundered money through various shell companies in tax havens such as the Cayman Islands, among others.
Low also suggested that the accusations against him were politically motivated.