By Ida Lim | Malay Mail
Jasmine Loo, the former general counsel of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), who was wanted for investigations into the billions of dollars misappropriated from the sovereign wealth fund, returned home to face the law because she has “absolute trust” in the Malaysian justice system, her lawyers said today.
Amer Hamzah Arshad and Edmund Bon Tai Soon from the law firm AmerBON, Advocates, also confirmed that the one-time associate of Malaysia’s most wanted man, Jho Low, is currently under police remand.
They added that Loo has “absolute trust and confidence in the Malaysian judicial and legal system and will face all matters accordingly”.
“Our client’s priority is to cooperate with the relevant law enforcement agencies in their ongoing 1MDB investigations, and to facilitate and assist the Malaysian government in expediting its asset recovery efforts. She also looks forward to reuniting with her family as soon as possible.
“Our client has always treated Malaysia as her home. When appropriate, she will reveal the facts and circumstances surrounding her years away from Malaysia.
“She seeks privacy and space to do what is necessary at this time,” they said in a statement.
They said their law firm is Loo’s only authorised legal representative and that any questions should be directed to them.
According to the lawyers, Loo had “recently surrendered herself to the Malaysian authorities”, and that she has since been arrested and placed in the custody of the authorities.
Yesterday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that Loo was arrested last Friday and remanded at the Dang Wangi police station the next day. He however declined to disclose where Loo was arrested.
The minister said Loo is being investigated under section 409 of the Penal Code — which covers the offence of criminal breach of trust — and that the police have identified other issues to be investigated, with further details under the police’s jurisdiction.
Bank Negara Malaysia had in 2015 sought for information on Loo and a fellow former 1MDB employee, while the police had in 2018 said that Low, Loo, and three others had absconded from Malaysia and that arrest warrants had been issued for them.
Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is currently on trial over RM2.28 billion in funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB, with the trial in the High Court scheduled to resume on July 26.
To date, 45 witnesses have testified for the prosecution in Najib’s 1MDB trial, with the prosecution expected to call a few more witnesses before it wraps up the prosecution stage of the case.
