Report says ex-AG Apandi represented Jho Low in failed nego with Malaysia

Financial daily The Edge has claimed that former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali represented fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho in discussions with the Malaysian authorities on the latter's offer to settle his charges related to the 1MDB scandal.

The Edge further claimed that Low, better known as Jho Low, had offered RM1.5 billion to Malaysia, which was rejected.

Apandi previously refused to confirm or deny that such negotiations had taken place, or to respond to queries about his role in the talks.

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

MalaysiaNow has reached out to Apandi again, but has yet to receive a response.

The startling claim by The Edge that Apandi had represented Low, the man widely considered as having played a central role in the 1MDB scandal, comes two days after MalaysiaNow reported that the fugitive had failed in his 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.

Low's whereabouts have never been confirmed, but a warrant of arrest was issued against him by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which also alerted Interpol to issue a red notice against him and two others.

Apandi, who served as attorney-general from 2015 to 2018, had drawn fire after clearing 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.