This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on January 7, 2020 - January 13, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has called wanted financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) a liar for claiming that he is not the mastermind of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal as portrayed publicly.

In his first interview with the media since fleeing Malaysia in 2015, the fugitive told Singapore’s The Straits Times newspaper that he is a convenient scapegoat in the multibillion-dollar global financial scandal by virtue of not being a politician.

According to Muhammad Shafee, Jho Low and his conspirators had played a central role in the scam and claiming that he is the scapegoat does not hold water.

“Why would anyone victimise you if you are not a politician? If you are a politician, then there is your political opposition who would want to get you in trouble, but he is not a politician, he is not being bullied,” Muhammad Shafee said yesterday at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex after the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial, where Najib faces seven criminal charges, had wrapped up for the day.

In the email interview with The Straits Times, Jho Low claimed that he was merely a bit part player in the 1MDB scandal who acted as an “introducer and intermediary” and was tasked to “assist” the governments of Malaysia and those in the Middle East purportedly due to his “good relationships with influential foreign businessmen and decision makers”.

Jho Low portrayed himself as a middleman, albeit one who “worked for the benefit of Malaysia and advanced Malaysia’s government-to-government connections with key allies”.

Rubbishing Jho Low’s claims, Muhammad Shafee insisted the fugitive is the “number one central culprit” in the whole scandal.

“He is not telling the truth. He is the central figure who organised everything with all his cronies. They were in 1MDB, they were in SRC, and now it’s not surprising that all these people around him have absconded. People like Jasmine Loo, Casey Tang, Nik Faisal [Ariff Kamil] and Terence Geh are all still at large.”

Muhammad Shafee said because these people are not here to answer for their crimes, his client will not get the best defence in the various 1MDB- linked cases.

“Is this an attempt to try and weaken [Najib’s] defence? I must tell you it’s very cumbersome. These are witnesses my client can use in order to interrogate them. Without them, my client is only telling his version of events,” he said.

Muhammad Shafee said he is surprised the Malaysian authorities have not exhausted all efforts to find the fugitive and his cronies to bring them to justice.

“I’m surprised that the Malaysians have not gone hard to get him. Until today the IGP (inspector-general of police) hasn’t said where he is. Not only Jho Low, why not go after his accomplices?

“Jho Low’s interview has left more questions to be answered as his responses were evasive concerning his role in 1MDB,” said Muhammad Shafee.

“Why not announce where Jho Low is, name and shame the country who is keeping him,” the lawyer said. “I am surprised Malaysia hasn’t extradited him. They have been talking but have done nothing thus far.”