Take Jho Low hunt seriously, IGP tells Macau authorities

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The Macau authorities must take seriously the Interpol’s Red Notice for fugitive Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, who is believed to have been there recently.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador (pic) said Jho Low was found to have conducted several business transactions in Macau but the authorities there had not been cooperative over the matter.

"We sent our officers to Macau to meet the authorities there and asked for their cooperation.

"By right, they should take this matter seriously as Jho Low (allegedly) is a criminal and a thief who caused Malaysia to be in billions in debt,” he said after the handover of duty ceremony of the Commercial Criminal Investigations Department (CCID) director post in Bukit Aman, on Friday (Aug 7).

Hamid said Malaysian police were always ready to assist the Macau authorities as the issue surrounding Jho Low is criminal in nature and was not connected to politics.

"Our country has ended up the victim and RM50bil has gone missing. And that is why I had asked for the cooperation of the police over there, so what is wrong with that? We have the Interpol, we can discuss and take responsibility together to hunt down this criminal.

"This is what I am hoping for... as police officers, quite naturally they must have what it takes... and not come up with statements saying that we had got our information wrong (on Jho Low’s whereabouts) when in fact he was detected to have made business transactions in Macau,” he said.

Hamid said he was not giving up on the pursuit for the fugitive to bring him back and face justice.

"Macau is (not as vast as) Siberia, it is just a small colony, so what’s making it so difficult to nab Jho Low?” he asked.

"If I fail to bring Jho Low back, then I ask the one replacing me to make sure this pursuit does not end,” he added.

Hamid’s appointment contract as IGP ends May next year.

On Dec 4, 2018, the Magistrate's Court in Malaysia issued an arrest warrant against Jho Low to assist in the investigation of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Since then, various efforts have been made by the Malaysian authorities to bring the businessman home.

Jho Low is not only wanted by the authorities for his involvement in the 1MDB fund misappropriation case but he is also an important witness in the trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.- Bernama