Low was charged in absentia at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today.
The Magistrate’s Court in Kuala Lumpur has issued warrants of arrest against Jho Low and four other individuals linked to state investment arm 1MDB.
The warrants of arrest were related to the criminal charges against Low, his aide Tan Kim Loong, former 1MDB general counsel Loo Ai Swan, former 1MDB executive director Tang Keng Chee and ex-1MDB official Geh Choh Heng.
The charges were filed against the five in their absence at the Sessions Court today but were not read before a judge.
Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the warrants of arrest for Jho Low would enable the police to seek Interpol’s cooperation in issuing a red notice against the duo.
According to media reports, 36-year-old Low, who is being hunted by police and wanted in Malaysia, Singapore and several other countries, is believed to be hiding either in China or Abu Dhabi, but to date, his actual whereabouts are not known.
Prior to this, the Malaysian Immigration Department had revoked Jho Low’s passport at the request of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission following its investigations into the 1MDB scandal.
Low was first charged in absentia at the Putrajaya Sessions Court in August where police filed criminal charges against him and his father for offences under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 over money allegedly stolen from 1MDB.
In that case, he was slapped with eight counts of money laundering involving a total of close to RM1.9 billion.
Low is also facing charges brought by the US Department of Justice over funds misappropriated from 1MDB and paying bribes to various Malaysian and Abu Dhabi officials.