Alleged 1MDB financier Jho Low is surfacing – at least in leaked phone conversations. The fugitive appears to be attempting to negotiate a deal to avoid jail. 

Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, was heard attempting to strike a deal with the former Malaysian government led by Mahathir Mohamad, according to audio leaks obtained by «Al Jazeera». The fugitive financier appears to betray fellow conspirators, offers other fugitives as potential witnesses, and also reveals details about legal costs and luxury spending. 

Low is a missing piece of the 1MDB puzzle, a $4.5 billion graft scandal which swept up Banca della Svizzera Italiana (BSI) and also reached Wall Street giants like ex-Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein. BSI was the first domino to fall in Switzerland: many private banks including UBS and Edmond de Rothschild were ultimately also sanctioned. 

Najib Razak’s Fault?

On the siphoning of billions of dollars of 1MDB assets, Low notes that he had no authority on the matter and laid blame on Najib Razak, who was voted out as Malaysia's PM in 2017. finews.com couldn't verify the authenticity of the tapes.

«I have no authority to make any decision […] It’s a pretty known fact that […] all the approvals have to be approved by the minister of finance,» Low appears to say, referring to the period which Najib served in the role.

Not a Gift from the Saudis

In addition, Low also admitted that most of the more than $1 billion received by Nabji's account was not a gift from Saudia Arabia’s late King Abdullah – contrary to the ex-prime minister's claims.

«The reality is, it is true that King Abdullah actually agreed to give [a] donation to the PM but that was the small portion of a larger portion,» Low said. 

Baubles For Rosmah Mansor

And on top of the two jarring claims, Low also underlined rapacious spending for Najib’s wife Rosmah Manor that totaled over half a billion U.S. dollars. This, according to the DOJ, included a purchase of a $27 million pink diamond from New York jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.

«That was a huge amount,» Low said.

Abu Dhabi's Angle

In the call, Low also reveals the involvement of Abu Dhabi and provides advice on settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

«The reality is, Abu Dhabi people did take money,» he said. «The discussion I left off with them is, look, whatever I settle with the DOJ that is used to pay 1MDB bonds, you should all match the same amount, which is probably close to a billion dollars.»

Financier Remains AWOL

Malaysian police have explicitly said they have knowledge of Low’s hiding in Macau and while China has strongly refuted this, the latest audio leaks offer insights about the latter’s potential involvement. 

According to the leaks, Low was in China at one point when he was considering a rendezvous in Hong Kong or Macau. Upon discovering that Malaysia’s 1MDB investigators were setting up a meeting in Macau, he decided to flee to the United Arab Emirates which he said was «ultra paranoid» due to the arrest warrant issued. 

«Al Jazeera» reports that Low has lived in Macau since at least February 2018 in a house owned by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party, citing unnamed sources from Malaysia and Macau.