KUALA LUMPUR (May 30): Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) still has a Cyprus passport, according to a new investigative series by Greek journalist Makarios Drousiotis, who is rolling out a fiery multi-part exposé that shows rampant corruption involving politicians, service providers, land developers, and criminals, with ex-president Nicos Anastasiades directly implicated.
In a report on May 25, American journalist Bradley Hope wrote in Project Brazen’s Whale Hunting newsletter that Drousiotis' latest report hit earlier this month.
Hope said Jho Low had multiple passports, including one from St Kitts and Nevis in addition to Malaysia, but only Cyprus has allowed him to keep it despite the overwhelming global evidence of his critical and central role as the perpetrator of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) fraud.
He added that Cypriot journalists first exposed the details of how Jho managed to get a Cypriot passport in 2015.
In an attempt to reduce the scandal, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal to strip Jho Low of his citizenship.
But, as revealed by Drousiotis, president Anastasiades managed to scupper those efforts with procedural delays and changes to legislation introducing a new procedure for citizenship revocation.
“So instead, Jho Low's case was referred to a newly established Independent Deprivation Review Committee. His appeal was accepted by the Independent Nationality Deprivation Review Board in March 2022.
“This, to me, shows how far Cyprus will go to preserve a lucrative stream of money, even if it means providing safe harbour and travel documents to international criminals,” said Hope.
Earlier in May, it was reported that the Cyprus Cabinet had decided to revoke the Cypriot citizenship of the wanted fugitive businessman, according to a report in the country’s media.
Citing a source apprised of the matter, the Cyprus Mail on May 18 reported the passport revocation.