HONG KONG - Macau Judiciary Police (MJP) are verifying an official request by the Malaysian police to send a team to Macau to arrest Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho.
Mr Low, better known as Jho Low, is wanted in Malaysia for questioning relating to the huge scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
In response to queries by The Straits Times, the MJP said on Tuesday (July 10) that it "will provide the information as requested by the country concerned as soon as possible".
Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohamad Fuzi Harun said earlier in the day that the police had sent a written request through the Interpol liaison office in Bukit Aman to counterparts in Macau and were waiting for a response.
"We were initially alerted that he was in Hong Kong and we sent a team there to bring him home. When we arrived there, however, we learnt that he had left by ferry to Macau," he reportedly said.
Macau does not have any extradition treaty with other countries.
The Malaysian police chief said they had previously requested seven countries including China to be on alert regarding the fugitive businessman.
Mr Low, who is chief executive of Hong Kong-based company Jynwel Capital, lived in Hong Kong for some years.
A check of the company's website on Tuesday found that the site is "undergoing major reconstruction" and is no longer available.
The Hong Kong police declined comment when contacted.
The Malaysian state fund is the target of multiple investigations in Singapore, the United States, Switzerland and several other countries. US prosecutors have alleged that Mr Low is the mastermind of a scheme involving dozens of illicit payments that drained billions from 1MDB.
Mr Low had previously described his role with 1MDB as informal consulting that did not break any laws.
The state fund was set up by former prime minister Najib Razak in 2009 and he served as chairman of its advisory board.
Najib was charged on July 4 with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one of abuse of power involving RM42 million (S$14 million) linked to SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail.
