Malaysia’s Jho Low seeking Trump pardon for 1MDB fraud

The fugitive financier is accused of being the architect of a scheme to siphon at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund

Jho Low, the fugitive Malaysian financier accused by the United States of being the mastermind of one of the largest financial frauds in history, has asked US President Donald Trump for a pardon.

Low, who was charged in 2018 but has evaded arrest, submitted a pardon application to the US Justice Department this year, according to a notice on the DOJ’s website.

He is accused of being the architect of a scheme that siphoned at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB.

Federal prosecutors allege Low, with the help of two former Goldman Sachs bankers, paid about US$2 billion in bribes to foreign officials, including former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who ended up in prison.

Another US$1 billion in kickbacks went to the scheme’s participants, with Low pocketing at least US$1.42 billion, US officials alleged.

According to the DOJ website, the request for “Taek Jho Low” seeks a “Pardon after Completion of Sentence”. The status of his request was “pending”. No other details were available.