No! Najib denies meeting Jho Low as investigators closed in

Najib Abdul Razak has denied meeting fugitive businessperson Jho Low as investigators closed in on the latter over the 1MDB scandal.

When the question was posed to him at the Parliament building this afternoon, the former premier responded with a single word: “No!”

According to the Wall Street Journal, which quoted an unnamed former Malaysian official, Najib met Jho Low at the sidelines of the Belt and Road forum in Beijing in May 2017.

Two months earlier, US authorities were reported to be preparing criminal charges against the fugitive businessperson.

The official, whom WSJ claimed was attached with the Prime Minister's Office, also claimed that Najib would travel to China on a regular basis to meet Low.

At the time of the purported meeting, reports about Low's alleged misappropriation of 1MDB funds became widely known, especially based on court filings by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

Among others, the DOJ claimed that Low had used funds meant for 1MDB to purchase jewellery for his associates and to buy a superyacht.

Malaysiakini is unable to independently verify the WSJ report.

Singapore, meanwhile, had placed an Interpol request for Low in April 2016.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini in June this year, Najib said he had asked Low about the allegations against him, but that it was some time ago.

"Yes, I did (communicate with him) and he said it was not for him. He said he was acting on a Middle Eastern royal member's behalf. That was the response he gave," he said.

Low's current whereabouts are unknown. Police had tracked him to Macau, but he had left the administrative region before he could be apprehended.

Following this, it was reported that he is in mainland China. - Mkini