Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (劉特佐) faces new charges in Malaysia along with PetroSaudi International Ltd directors Tarek Obaid and Patrick Mahony over their alleged roles in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
The three are accused of engaging in criminal conspiracy with former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, while Mahony and Obaid face additional money laundering charges for allegedly receiving US$300 million from 1MDB through unlawful activity, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has said.
The charges were served in their absence on Monday at a Magistrate Court in Kuala Lumpur.
They were the first accusations against Mahony and Obaid in Malaysia, while Low, known as Jho Low, has already denied wrongdoing against previous charges filed against him in the country.
Malaysia revived its investigation into troubled state fund 1MDB after a change of government in 2018 ousted Najib from power. Najib is undergoing trial for dozens of charges linked to the fund.
The scandal is at the center of global probes from Switzerland to Singapore, with US prosecutors estimating about US$4.5 billion was siphoned from 1MDB.
The court has issued arrest warrants against the three people, who are not in Malaysia, and sought help from Interpol to find them.
If found guilty of criminal conspiracy, they could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of no less than five times the value of the gratification.
A guilty conviction on the money-laundering charges could mean a maximum fine of 5 million ringgit (US$1.2 million), or up to five years in jail, or both.
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