A DAY AFTER MAHATHIR TAKES A TOUR OF PRIZED SUPERYACHT, JHO LOW FIRES BACK AT ‘LYING’ PM: ‘STOP PUTTING WORDS INTO THE DOJ’S MOUTH, THE U.S. HAS NOT PRODUCED A SINGLE PIECE OF EVIDENCE IN COURT’

Statement on behalf of Mr. Low in response to Mahathir’s comment

The statement makes clear:

• Despite Mahathir’s statement, the US has not in fact proven its case against Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd. It has filed unproven allegations in court proceedings to which no one has been able to meaningfully respond.
• Mahathir continues to show that he has no respect for the legal process or the rule of law.
• Mahathir’s taking of the yacht makes it impossible to sell it for fair value because of the still-open legal questions and the legal repercussions for any new owner.

A spokesman for Mr. Low, through his attorneys, issued the following statement in response to the remarks of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir that the US has proven its case against Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd:

Mr. Mahathir once again shows proper legal process has no place in the Mahathir regime. The US hasn’t proven anything. The truth is this: the US filed unproven allegations in a civil forfeiture complaint more than a year ago – then halted the proceedings before any party had any meaningful chance to respond. The allegations have ricocheted around the world for more than a year, repeated thousands of times. Thus, Mr. Low has been declared guilty by the Mahathir regime before a single piece of evidence has been produced in US courts. 

Mahathir’s trial by media has made it impossible for this matter to be fairly adjudicated, especially in his regime, which manipulates the Malaysian system as in the 1988 judicial crisis.

Just a few days ago, the legal team appointed by the Malaysian Attorney General said it could take up to nine months to identify the owner of the Equanimity through the Malaysian court process. Mahathir now seems to be saying there will be no such process.

Mahathir has contended that the US agreed Malaysia can keep the boat. But the US has said the opposite in court filings. Mahathir is not complying with either US or Indonesian court rulings; he is ignoring the law solely for political purposes.

Mahathir’s illegal taking of the yacht makes it impossible to sell it for fair value because of the still-open legal questions and the legal repercussions for any new owner. 

And the Mahathir regime still has not explained that, while the US has stated in court filings it had no knowledge of the seizure of the Equanimity, the Malaysian Attorney General has said it was done after “sensitive and delicate negotiations with the United States.” it is clear that the Malaysian government is lying and putting words into the US’s mouth.

These repeated misstatements by Malaysia are embarrassing the US, which has stressed it has no involvement in the illegal seizure of the vessel and will update the US court on August 17.

It is clear that the Mahathir regime has no interest in a fair and just legal process. His hijacking of established and long-running legal proceedings in other countries involving those Governments (such as the United States) in the Equanimity matter prove this beyond any doubt.

Thom Weidlich  (@prcg.com)