Police have arrested Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, an associate of fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), who was allegedly involved in the 1MDB scandal.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told reporters that she was arrested last Friday.
According to the minister, Loo's lawyer had told authorities that she was ready to cooperate with the police and government in their investigations into 1MDB.
"Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, an individual whom we believe has information about 1MDB, has been arrested by police on Friday (July 8).
"She was arrested in Kuala Lumpur and taken to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters. Police acquired a remand order against her on Saturday.
"Investigation is being conducted under Section 409 of the Penal Code, and the police definitely have to investigate several areas," he said.
Saifuddin, however, declined to elaborate further about the circumstances surrounding Loo's arrest apart from stressing that she was arrested.
The minister also said that he was also not privy to the progress of the investigation, including whether Loo has disclosed any information about Low.
Loo was 1MDB's former executive director of group strategy - and was alleged to be in Low's inner circle.
She was also alleged to have been a recipient of the misappropriated 1MDB funds.
According to the US Department of Justice, Loo received US$5 million (RM23.2 million) from the Aabar-BVI phase of the 1MDB scandal, and US$10 million (RM46.5 million) during the Tanore phase.
Second associate
Loo, a law graduate, was one of the suspects wanted by authorities to facilitate a probe into the troubled state investment arm.
The authorities, however, had not been successful to locate her until Friday's breakthrough.
It was unclear if Loo had just returned from overseas when police picked her up.
Loo is the second associate of Jho Low to be arrested by Malaysian authorities of late.
The MACC had in May arrested Kee Kok Thiam, an alleged associate of Jho Low, after he was deported by Macau authorities for overstaying his visa.
He arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 3am on May 3, where he was ordered to go to the MACC’s headquarters at 10am on the same day.
Al Jazeera reported that Kee told the MACC he had met Jho Low and other 1MDB fugitives - including Eric Tan Kim Loong, Casey Tang Keng Chee, Geh Choh Heng, and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil - in Macau.
He also reportedly said Jho Low had instructed him "not to return to Malaysia as a witness in the 1MDB case".
Kee later died on May 29 when receiving treatment for an illness at a hospital, which sparked speculations on the circumstances leading to his death.
However, his family later issued a statement saying that the 56-year-old businessperson died in hospital after suffering a "sudden massive stroke" and urged the public not to speculate. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.