No News Is Bad News
https://says.com/my/news/wsj-s-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-controversial-1mdb-scandal (5 New Videos By WSJ That Simplify 1MDB Scandal Issues In 48 Seconds)
Disgraceful, idiotic Umno supporters of jailbird 1MDB Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, July 14, 2023: So-called supporters of disgraced former prime minister (PM) Najib Abdul Razak are equally disgraceful and idiotic.
They continue to hurl unsubstantiated insults at Malaysia’s legal system, alleging injustice against the unrepentant and shameless jailbird.
Najib was convicted of looting a state investment fund and is now languishing in jail, serving a 12-year prison sentence.
So, what’s so injustice about that, having been convicted for a crime against the state through a lengthy legal process.
They, including some so-called Umno members and leaders, should be ashamed for continuing to support a jailbird.
Yes. Najib has the right to seek a royal pardon. Law-abiding Malaysians also have the right to demand that Najib repents, help recover and return as much as possible the billions of ringgit looted from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Najib was the then PM in charge of 1MDB, so why should he not bear responsibility for the sloppy management of 1MDB that resulted in the country losing billions.
Before pardon can even be considered or acceptable to law-abiding Malaysians, Najib should display remorse and help recover and returnas much of the loot to the Government’s coffer.
The latest news of the detention of 1MDB legal counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan to help police investigations is likely to unearth more dirt on Najib’s operations in 1MDB and his links to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho a.k.a. Jho Low.
And Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Razarudin Husain believes that it is only a matter of time before the police bring Jho Low back to Malaysia.
That will be damning on the Najib and 1MDB hearings, and hopefully brings some sort of closure to the worl’s biggest money-laundering case involving multi-billion ringgit.
No News Is Bad News reproduce below 1MDB-related reports:
Unbearable fugitive life could have prompted Jasmine Loo to return home to face the music over her 1MDB heist role
· in Featured, Mainstream, Top
FORMER 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) legal counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan who was detained by the Malaysian police last Friday (July 7) to assist in investigations into the misappropriation of funds is an epitome of “a young law graduate transforming into a substantially wealthy woman”.
This is how Sarawak Report who broke the story of her crucial role in the heist from now incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s sham development fund in March 2015 would describe her.
Following her re-surfacing in Malaysia after eight years as an associate of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho a.k.a. Jho Low, the political activism portal claimed that its on-going research has unearthed evidence of Loo’s even deeper involvement not only in 1MDB’s ongoing thefts but in both Jho Low’s personal businesses social life.
Such was Jasmine’s trusted and crucial role as a lawyer who is prepared to sign corrupt documentation to facilitate 1MDB-related thefts by acting in her capacity as the legal counsel for 1MDB.
“Her reward, as documented by the US Department of Justice and FBI investigators, were payments totalling million dollars that were transferred into her River Dee account at the notorious Falcon Bank, transforming the slip of a young law graduate into a substantially wealthy woman,” noted Sarawak Report.
“In fact, most of the episodes that have now unravelled in the course of this heist involved Jasmine signing important documents that confirmed the ‘legitimate’ nature of the 1MDB bank transfers.”
It was therefore of little surprise that when the first ‘Wanted’ notices were issued by the Malaysian task force into the scandal following the original Sarawak Report exposé of the PetroSaudi heist in February 2015, Loo, now 50, was one of the two being hunted.
The other was Casey Tang, another Jho Low associate, who had been appointed to senior management at 1MDB.
Recall that the Kuala Lumpur High Court had on Jan 20, allowed an n application by a third party, namely OCBC Bank (M) Bhd, to claim a condominium in Mont Kiara here which was seized from Loo (prior to her return from hiding).
Additionally, judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid also consented to the prosecution’s application to forfeit the rights to three more assets, namely an Audi car and a Volkswagen New Beetle car (seized on Jan 27, 2021) as well as money amounting to RM22,600 in Loo’s Maybank Islamic Bhd current account (seized on Feb 2, 2021).
When life on the run becomes unbearable
According to Sarawak Report, social media trawls have revealed that in the process of becoming one of the key professional villains so vital to Jho Low’s success in stealing a total of US$5 bil (US$1=RM4.60), Jasmine had entered his inner circle of friends and had become part of his “Hollywood set”.
“She was integral to the party circuit cultivated by the fraudster as he sought to impress current and potential future collaborators by spending inordinate amounts of cash in nightclub haunts in Vegas, San Tropez, Sydney and LA (Los Angeles),” highlighted the portal.
“Jasmine was featured on Facebook as late as Christmas 2015 (together with Riza Aziz’s co-producer on Wolf of Wall Street, Joey McFarland) on a skiing holiday in France with the celebrity couple Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz.
“The couple had been paid ludicrous sums by Jho Low for various performance routines and described their ski party companions as ‘family’. Other holidays together included trips to Whistler. Loo bought a swanky apartment in East 22nd Street in 2014 for an impressive US$4.5 mil.”
To cut a long list of Loo’s scandalous activities short, Sarawak Report reckoned that the re-appearance of Loo will prove to be far more devastating for Jho Low and those from his family and entourage who remain.
“It is also a visceral blow to Najib Razak whose trial is reaching a crucial stage,” reckoned the London-based portal helmed by editor Clare Rewcastle Brown. “She is cooperating with the authorities and she is the one who signed the documents and knew exactly what happened and who sanctioned it.”
Added Sarawak Report: “The authorities would do well to place this young lady under full protection and to take her full timed and recorded statements as soon as possible.
“She may well feel her relatively modest payment of US$5 mil was not worth this destruction to her life. If so, she should warn others how the ‘highlife’ can well turn into a nightmare existence where crime is involved,” added Sarawak Report. – July 13, 2023
Only a matter of time, says IGP on bringing Jho Low back
Razarudin Husain points out how the police managed to bring former 1MDB general counsel Jasmine Loo back to Malaysia.
Faisal Asyraf - 13 Jul 2023, 3:47pm
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Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho has been charged in Malaysia and the US over allegations that he orchestrated the theft of US$4.5 billion from 1MDB. (Bloomberg pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain believes that it is only a matter of time before the police bring fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, back to Malaysia.
At a press conference in Bukit Aman today, the nation’s top cop reiterated that the authorities had never stopped trying to locate Low to bring him back here.
“If we are capable of bringing (former 1MDB general counsel) Jasmine Loo back, then only time will tell (when Low will be brought back to Malaysia),” he said.
Low has been charged in Malaysia and the US over allegations that he orchestrated the theft of US$4.5 billion from 1MDB. An Interpol Red Notice was issued in 2018.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had said in May that Low is believed to be hiding in Macau, along with other individuals wanted over the 1MDB scandal.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had also said that negotiations were ongoing to bring Low back to Malaysia.
Loo was arrested by the police on Friday. The alleged former accomplice of Low had been missing since May 2018 along with other key individuals linked to the 1MDB scandal after fleeing the country just before the 14th general election.
Razarudin dismissed queries on where Loo was arrested, saying he was concerned about her safety, regardless of whether she was a suspect or a witness.
Will Najib’s supporters boycott state polls?
One analyst says a boycott would handicap the BN-PH alliance, another believes it risks defeat, which will weaken the party further.
FMT Reporters - 14 Jul 2023, 8:15am
Najib Razak’s supporters believe he did not receive a fair trial and have been clamouring for a royal pardon for him.
PETALING JAYA: Two political analysts have expressed differing views about whether former prime minister Najib Razak’s supporters will back the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional alliance in the Aug 12 state elections.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung said Najib’s supporters might not answer BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call to back the unity coalition while the former Pekan MP remains in prison.
“So far, there has been no sign that Najib will be pardoned, so it’s hard to see his supporters backing the unity government in the coming polls,” he told FMT.
Lee said any boycott by supporters of the incarcerated former prime minister would represent a “huge handicap” for PH-BN in the state elections, given the former Umno president’s large support base.
He also said there was little likelihood that BN supporters would vote for PH, and vice versa.
“For many years, BN leaders accused DAP of being a communist party, and made their ‘No Anwar, No DAP’ stand very clear.
“PH, on the other hand, has always portrayed BN as being synonymous with corruption. How do you persuade the supporters of one coalition to vote for their traditional rival? That’s a big challenge.
“If BN does poorly, it will reflect poorly on Zahid and place more pressure on him over Najib’s situation. In fact, BN’s results in the 15th general election (GE15) already reflect the grassroots’ sentiments towards Zahid’s leadership.”
Last week, BN chairman Zahid called on Najib’s supporters to back the unity government in the coming elections in six states.
Najib is serving a 12-year jail sentence following his conviction in the SRC International corruption case. His lawyers and supporters claim he was not granted a fair trial. Moves to seek a royal pardon, supported by Umno, were initiated in April.
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi does not foresee Najib’s supporters boycotting the state elections, saying efforts to secure Najib’s release will be further hampered if Umno grows weaker following a poor showing in the state elections.
“I think they realise the risk of boycotting Umno. I believe rational supporters won’t do that,” he said.
He said PH and BN would benefit immensely if backed by Najib and his supporters in the coming elections.
However, he did not expect Najib’s supporters to be the deciding factor, pointing out that BN fared badly in GE15 even with their support.
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