As the Malaysian government pursues its efforts to recoup billions lost by 1MDB to fraud, negligence and professional collusion across the globe, there have been concerns over profiteering even from the recovery of the stolen wealth.
One key whistleblower in the affair, Bachar Kiwan, was forced to flee Kuwait in 2017 after reprisals from Jho Low’s allies who were money-laundering Malaysia’s diverted public funds through businesses he jointly owned.
Having suffered torture and imprisonment before making a daring escape, Kiwan approached Sarawak Report with devastating evidence of the scheme, sanctioned at the highest levels in China which collaborated with Jho Low and his ‘Big Boss’ (then prime minister Najib Razak) to cover-up the losses from 1MDB.
Subsequent reporting on this website resulted in the trial and imprisonment in 2023 of Sheikh Sabah Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah, the son of the former Kuwaiti prime minister, who had taken fat commissions for his role, together with his lawyer and key aide.
Bachar Kiwan was himself also sentenced, in absentia alongside Jho Low, having been accused of being part of the conspiracy he exposed. He has always maintained his innocence and was found to be a victim of political persecution by the Spanish courts and the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. He now lives as a free citizen in France.
In the meantime, Kiwan has made clear he believes he holds further evidence about the laundered Kuwaiti...
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