ZunarBenar: By the Tail
2017.03.28
U.S. authorities plan to file criminal charges against Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, in connection with a corruption scandal that has embroiled Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
The scandal involves Malaysian state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Najib and wife, Rosmah Mansor, are close friends of Low, against whom the U.S. Justice Department plans to file criminal charges of wire fraud and money-laundering, according to a report published in the Journal on March 21.
Najib has denied any wrongdoing.
When contacted by BenarNews, a Justice Department declined to comment on the Journal’s report.
“We have no further comment beyond the publicly available court filings in this case,” a department spokesman said.
Last year, the department filed civil proceedings to seize more than U.S. $1 billion in assets believed bought with funds siphoned from 1MDB.