TAKING A LEAF FROM NAJIB, ‘FUGITIVE THIEF’ JHO LOW HAS THE GALL TO REBUKE MAHATHIR: ‘YOU ARE VIOLATING THE LAW’ JUST LIKE YOU DID IN 1988 JUDICIAL CRISIS – EVEN THOUGH JHO WAS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME

PETALING JAYA: Businessman Low Taek Jho today referred to the 1988 Malaysian judicial crisis in accusing Dr Mahathir Mohamad of violating the “rule of law”, after it was announced that the government would be handed over a luxury yacht linked to him.

In a statement through his legal team, Low, who is at the centre of investigations in Malaysia and the United States over allegations of embezzling billions of dollars from 1MDB, said the move was illegal and politically motivated.

“As he did in Malaysia’s 1988 judicial crisis, Mahathir is showing the world that his new regime still has no interest in the rule of law,” he said, referring to a crisis sparked by the removal of senior judges during Mahathir’s first term as prime minister.

Low said the latest action showed “how quickly the rule of law disappears in Mahathir’s regime”.

Indonesia has agreed to hand over to Malaysia the US$250 million luxury yacht called “Equanimity”, which was linked to the 1MDB scandal. It was impounded in Bali earlier this year by Indonesian police at the request of US authorities.

The decision was reportedly reached following a personal request by Mahathir.

Low’s whereabouts remain a mystery, as Malaysian police pursue him as part of the renewed investigations into 1MDB. His Malaysian passport was revoked and an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Low said the handing over of the yacht to Malaysia was also against recent court orders in the US.

He said the US’ Department of Justice (DoJ) had argued that the yacht should be in US possession until a court decides its final ownership.

“Actions like this make it increasingly clear that there is no jurisdiction where the issues in this case can be subject to a fair hearing, thanks to a global media circus fuelled by politically motivated parties whose aim is to convict Mr. Low in the public arena,” said the statement.

According to lawsuits filed by DoJ, Low used proceeds diverted from 1MDB to buy Equanimity, a 300-feet yacht registered in the Cayman Islands. – FMT

Jho Low’s lawyer slams Dr M over Equanimity seizure

A lawyer acting for fugitive businessperson Jho Low has lashed out at Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over plans by Indonesia to hand over 1MDB-linked superyacht, the Equanimity, to Malaysia.

In a statement, Low’s lawyer James F Haggerty said the transfer of the ship was a violation of court rulings in both Indonesia and the US.

“The action of the Mahathir government in illegitimately taking this asset shows just how quickly the rule of law disappears in Mahathir’s regime.

“As he did in Malaysia’s 1988 judicial crisis, Mahathir is showing the world that his new regime still has no interest in the rule of law,” Haggerty said.

The 1988 judicial crisis refers to the dismissal of then lord president Salleh Abbas during Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister.

Mahathir has denied responsibility for the sacking, pushing the blame instead onto the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time.

Additionally, Low’s lawyer stated that Low had been compelled to issue a statement on the latest developments as he would “inevitably drawn into the media coverage over this illegal seizure by the Malaysian government”.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed a civil forfeiture suit on the US$250 million vessel last year, claiming that it was bought using the proceeds of misappropriated 1MDB funds that had been laundered through the US financial system, and that Low owns the vessel through a series of intermediaries including Equanimity Ltd.

1MDB has denied its money was misappropriated, while Low claims that allegations against him are politically motivated.

Timeline of superyacht seizure

On Feb 28, Indonesian authorities boarded and seized the vessel at the DOJ’s request.

However, the South Jakarta District Court ruled that the seizure is invalid because the DOJ’s mutual legal assistance request was channelled directly to the Indonesian police, whereas Indonesian law requires the MLA request to be made through the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

Indonesian police boarded the superyacht again in July amid negotiations between Jakarta and Washington DC to seize the craft.

This was after the DOJ submitted a request for mutual legal assistance (MLA) to the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights on April 19, which the latter executed nearly two months later, on July 9.

A lawyer representing the Equanimity’s operators, however, said that an Indonesian court must first give approval for the police to issue a formal seizure notice against the superyacht.

Indonesian police told Malaysiakini the handover of the Equanimity to Malaysia is expected to happen sometime early next week. – M’kini

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