Apandi explains role in Jho Low talks

Former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali today attempted to clear the air over recent reports that he had represented fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho in discussions with the authorities on an offer to settle his 1MDB-related charges.

In a short response to MalaysiaNow, he said he had merely facilitated the talks.

“Yes,” he said when questioned about the matter.

In a separate statement, Apandi said he had been approached by law firm Kobre & Kim from Washington DC, seeking his assistance to arrange for a meeting with the attorney-general at the end of May 2022. 

“I arranged a series of meetings whereby representatives from Kobre & Kim came to Malaysia,” he said. 

“At the meetings, which took place at the AGC (Attorney-General's Chambers), the government of Malaysia was represented by the AG and his officer, and a senior officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

“The purpose of the meetings was to discuss the repatriation of monies allegedly siphoned by Jho Low from 1MDB.

“After the said meetings, which at that material time, looked positive, it was aborted and called off by the AGC suddenly, for reasons best known to them.”

Financial daily The Edge earlier reported that Apandi had represented Low in discussions with the Malaysian authorities on an offer to settle his 1MDB-related charges.  

It said Low had offered Malaysia RM1.5 billion, which was rejected. 

This came two days after MalaysiaNow reported that Low had failed in a bid to negotiate a deal with Putrajaya that would have allowed him to travel to the US to settle his cases there. 

"He made the request but failed to fulfil the conditions we set, including the return of the money which he siphoned off from 1MDB," a government source familiar with the talks involving Low's lawyers as well as Apandi had told MalaysiaNow.

Apandi, who served as attorney-general from 2015 to 2018, had cleared then prime minister Najib Razak of wrongdoing in the 1MDB scandal.

Najib was later convicted and sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and a RM210 million fine, with one of the charges linked to the scandal that has triggered investigations in several countries.

When contacted about MalaysiaNow’s report on the deal with Jho Low, he had refused to confirm or deny the talks, or respond to queries about his role in the matter.

"Sorry. The information, if any, is confidential," he had said in a short reply to MalaysiaNow.

Meanwhile, the AGC confirmed that Low, through his representatives, had attempted to engage with the government for a settlement this year. 

“In these attempts, Jho Low’s representatives met with agencies of the government of Malaysia, including the AGC.

“All offers for a settlement from Jho Low’s representatives were rejected by the AGC,” it said in a statement.