KUALA LUMPUR: Businessman Jho Low yesterday expressed disappointment that the United States’ Department of Justice (DOJ) continued to seize assets despite its inability to prove any impropriety.
In a brief three paragraph statement issued today, Low’s spokesman said rather than reflecting on the deeply flawed and politically-motivated allegations, the DoJ was continuing with its pattern of “global over reach, all based on entirely unsupported claims of wrongdoing.”
“We look forward to the court being presented with the actual facts which demonstrate that the DoJ's case is completely without foundation," he said.
The statement was issued following reports today that the Indonesian authorities had seized a luxury yacht on the island of Bali, allegedly sought by the DOJ as part of its investigation linked to Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Television footage in Indonesia showed Indonesian officials talking to the crew on board the moored yacht with the name "Equanimity" at Benoa Bay.
In August 2017, the DOJ asked for a stay on its civil lawsuits seeking to seize more than US$1.7 billion in assets allegedly bought with 1MDB funds because it was conducting a related criminal probe.