‘Hold Jho Low accountable if yacht obtained illegally’
KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, should be held accountable if the Equanimity luxury yacht, said to be his, was obtained illegally.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said each action taken must be based on the law.
“No one is above the law. Anyone who commits any wrongdoing must face legal repercussions.
“If the yacht was obtained illegally, such as by using money that wasn’t his as alleged, he (Low) needs to be held accountable. That is my stand,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
Najib was commenting on a statement by former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who challenged Low to return to Malaysia and face the authorities after Low criticised the vessel’s seizure.
Khairy was quoted as saying that Low must come out of hiding if he felt he did nothing wrong.
He said Umno would continue to be tarnished by the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue as long as Low remained at large and legal proceedings were on hold.
Low, via a spokesman, had claimed on Sunday that Malaysia was “putting words into the mouth” of the United States authorities by saying the US$250 million yacht’s arrival in Malaysia last week was after negotiations with the Americans.
The spokesman said Low had been declared guilty by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir’s government “before a single piece of evidence has been produced in US courts”.
The Equanimity is the subject of a custody battle between the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and Indonesia after the former filed a civil forfeiture suit on the yacht last year. DoJ claimed the yacht was bought using misappropriated 1MDB funds laundered through the US financial system, and that Low was the vessel’s owner via a series of intermediaries.
Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said Low had to play his role as a responsible Malaysian and return to face allegations related to 1MDB.
He said Low’s name had been linked too many times to 1MDB and had created a negative impression of the country.
“If he’s done nothing wrong, he should return to Malaysia to prove his innocence. The people cannot face this issue forever as there are many other issues that require attention.
“He has to explain the truth. We parliamentarians are interested in the truth, not accusations.”