Jho Low: Hunt for a Fugitive (Part 1) | Featured Documentary

Al Jazeera English16 minutes read

Jolo, a wanted man linked to a $4.5 billion fraud from Malaysia's 1MDB fund, remains on the run despite attempts to negotiate and cooperate with authorities. Evidence implicates Jolo in orchestrating the scheme and his close ties to Najib's family in diverting billions from 1MDB to personal accounts, contradicting claims of innocence.

Insights

  • Jolo, a key figure in the $4.5 billion 1MDB fraud scandal, utilized his connections and wealth to orchestrate the diversion of funds, leading to global investigations and his ongoing evasion of charges since 2016.
  • Despite facing charges and convictions related to the scandal, Jolo and former Prime Minister Najib Razak continue to deny responsibility, with Jolo offering cooperation in exchange for leniency and revealing details that contradict Najib's claims, highlighting the intricate web of deceit and corruption surrounding the 1MDB scandal.

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Recent questions

  • Who is Jolo and what is he accused of?

    Jolo is a wanted man accused of a $4.5 billion fraud from Malaysia's 1MDB fund.

  • What evidence implicates Jolo in the 1MDB scandal?

    Evidence points to Jolo's central role in diverting funds.

  • How did Jolo accumulate immense wealth?

    Jolo amassed wealth through a lavish lifestyle and powerful connections.

  • What attempts did Jolo make to avoid charges?

    Jolo attempted negotiations with various governments to avoid charges.

  • What role did Jolo play in the 1MDB scandal?

    Jolo played a central role in diverting funds from the 1MDB fund.

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Summary

00:00

"1MDB Scandal: Jolo's Global Fraud Scheme"

  • Jolo, a wanted man accused of a $4.5 billion fraud from Malaysia's 1MDB, has been on the run since 2016.
  • Al Jazeera obtained recordings of Jolo trying to avoid jail through negotiations with the Malaysian government in 2018.
  • Jolo, educated at prestigious schools, built immense wealth through a lavish lifestyle and powerful connections.
  • The scandal involved Malaysia's 1MDB fund, set up in 2009 by then-Prime Minister Najib Razak, who misused public trust.
  • Jolo orchestrated a scheme diverting $4.5 billion from 1MDB to personal accounts, leading to global investigations.
  • Jolo's network and close ties to Najib's family facilitated the fraud, with evidence pointing to his central role.
  • Jolo's attempts to negotiate with the US and Singapore to return assets and avoid charges were unsuccessful.
  • Despite facing charges and convictions, Najib and Jolo continue to deny guilt and shift blame for the scandal.
  • Jolo offered to cooperate with authorities and provide witnesses against Najib and his wife in exchange for leniency.
  • The scandal involved billions siphoned from 1MDB, with Jolo's revelations contradicting Najib's claims of innocence.

19:18

1MDB Funds Used for Lavish Jewelry Purchases

  • Jolo was insistent that if he had to return assets bought with 1MDB funds, his co-conspirators must also return theirs. In July 2013, Najib's wife, Rosmah, met Jolo and a New York jeweler on a yacht in the Mediterranean to view a 22-carat pink diamond Jolo paid $27 million for, all allegedly from 1MDB money.
  • Despite former Prime Minister Najib claiming the diamond was a gift, when police raided his home, the diamond was missing, but over 12,000 other jewelry pieces worth over $100 million were found. Jolo estimated Rosmah's jewelry purchases on the 1MDB expense account to be over half a billion dollars, urging the Malaysian administration to locate her shopping guru, Natasha Mapuri, who remains at large with most of the jewelry unaccounted for.
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