Don’t make us search for you, Jho Low told

PAC chairman asks 1MDB witnesses to come forward voluntarity for hearings and clear their names

KUALA LUMPUR: The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, parliament’s watchdog, has urged witnesses in the committee’s 1MDB hearings to come forward voluntarily and spare the authorities a search for them.

Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who chairs the committee, said it was the responsibility of the finance ministry to locate the witnesses summoned by the committee.

He said Penang-born businessman Jho Low had been summoned to appear on Sept 8, and directors of two other companies on Sept 9 and Sept 13.

News reports have said that Jho Low is now based in Hong Kong where he runs a family charitable foundation.

“It is the responsibility of the ministry as the main shareholder of 1MDB to trace them as they should know their whereabouts,” Nur Jazlan was quoted as saying after an Umno division meeting in his constituency.

The ministry, he said, could seek assistance from the authorities such as the police to look for them. If those concerned failed to turn up, he said PAC would decide on the next course of action, The Star reported.

1Malaysia Development Bhd, wholly-owned by the finance ministry, is a government strategic investment vehicle. It has reportedly accumulated debts of RM42 billion. Last week The Edge Financial Daily, part of the Edge group, reported that the Malaysian taxpayers had been defrauded of US$1.83 billion in cash through an investment by 1MDB in a joint venture with PetroSaudi International.

Jho Low was said to have colluded with executives of PetroSaudi in siphoning off the money into accounts controlled by him and his company.

Directors of Brazen Sky Sdn Bhd, named in the news report, and a director of another 1MDB company involved in the PetroSaudi investment are those summoned to appear after Jho Low.

The former chief executives of 1MDB are to appear on Aug 4-7 and the company’s former directors on Aug 17-18.