Jho Low, the Malaysian financier accused by the U.S. of being the mastermind of one of the largest financial frauds in history, has sought a presidential pardon while he remains a fugitive.
Low, who was charged in 2018 but has evaded arrest, submitted a pardon application to the U.S. Justice Department this year, according to a notice on the DOJ¡¯s website. He¡¯s accused of being the architect of a scheme that siphoned at least $4.5 billion from Malaysia¡¯s sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB.
Federal prosecutors allege Low, with the help of two former Goldman Sachs Group?bankers, paid about $2 billion in bribes to foreign officials, including former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. An additional?$1 billion in kickbacks went to the scheme¡¯s participants, with Low pocketing at least $1.42 billion, U.S. officials alleged.
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