Jho Low embarked on a multimillion-dollar public relations offensive and hired an army of lawyers and PR advisers over the past two years, reports UK-based The Guardian.
The London law firm that represents the Duchess of Sussex had received £1.3 million (RM6.94 million) for its work on a public relations campaign for the fugitive Malaysian financier accused of masterminding one of the world’s largest corruption scandals, documents show.
Schillings, a London-based firm that specialises in managing the reputations of wealthy clients, was paid the sum for working for Low between January 2019 and March 2020, according to US lobbying disclosures.
Some of its activities were aimed at “informing public opinion” in the US, the report said.
Schillings has disclosed its work included helping to prepare press releases and maintain a website for Low.
The website describes Low as “a global philanthropist, investor, and entrepreneur” who believes “he will be vindicated once all the relevant evidence has been presented in a fair and legitimate court of law”.
Disclosures also show that a London-based PR and crisis management agency, the PHA Group, run by the former editor of the News of the World and Hello! magazine Phil Hall, has received almost £275,000 (RM1.4 million) since 2018 for representing Low. Both Schilling and PHA were paid via Kobre & Kim, a US law firm acting for Low, who is reportedly living in China.
Filings suggest Low has become a significant client of Schillings, which recorded revenues of £16 million (RM8.5 billion) in 2019. The firm’s work for Low attracted criticism in 2018 after it emerged it had sent threatening letters to booksellers aimed at blocking the distribution of a book by two Wall Street Journal reporters that described Low’s alleged involvement in the 1MDB conspiracy.
A lawyer for Schillings responded on behalf of both the law firm and PHA to the Guardian’s request for comment. He said both Schillings and PHA had complied with all applicable laws and regulations and had “nothing further to add” to the contents of the Fara filings.
Low is accused by US and Malaysian prosecutors of orchestrating a vast money-laundering scheme that embezzled billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).