Fugitive Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, has reportedly applied for a presidential pardon from former United States President Donald Trump.
According to information published on the website of the United States Department of Justice (DoJ), the pardon request submitted under Jho Low’s name was classified as a “pardon after completion of sentence.” However, the application remains under consideration, and no additional details have been disclosed so far.
Jho Low could have his criminal charges in the US dropped
The request was filed in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. If granted, it would remove US criminal charges against the fugitive Malaysian financier.
Jho Low was charged in 2018 with misappropriating approximately USD4.5 billion (~RM17.7 billion) from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), in what American authorities described as one of the world’s largest financial fraud scandals. Despite the charges, he has remained at large and has yet to be apprehended by authorities.
US federal prosecutors alleged that Jho Low, together with two former bankers from Goldman Sachs Group, paid nearly USD2 billion (~RM7.8 billion) in bribes to foreign officials to facilitate the scheme.
In addition, another USD1 billion (~RM3.9 billion) was allegedly distributed as kickbacks to individuals involved, while Jho Low himself was said to have personally gained at least USD1.42 billion (~RM5.58 billion) from the operation, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Links to the former Trump administration
Tim Leissner, a former Goldman Sachs banker, pleaded guilty and testified during the 2022 trial of his former colleague, Roger Ng, who was later convicted.
During his testimony, Leissner claimed that Jho Low had assured him that Trump, then serving as US President, was directly involved in negotiations to end the American criminal investigation into the 1MDB scandal.
Leissner further alleged that Jho Low had discussed the matter with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior White House adviser, and had allegedly secured support for a potential agreement that could have enabled them to avoid criminal charges linked to 1MDB.
For the record, Leissner himself applied for a presidential pardon last year, but his request was denied. He was ordered to begin serving a two-year prison sentence in February for his role in the massive financial fraud case.
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