It was recently unveiled that alleged 1MDB mastermind Low Taek Jho had obtained a Cyprus passport in 2015 which involved the backing of the country’s Orthodox church head, Archbishop Chrysostomos II.
Chrysostomos II sent at least two letters to officials in Cyprus requesting for Low’s naturalization due to discussions about investments into church property, according to a report by Cypriot media «Politis». Low would subsequently obtain Cyprus nationality under the investment scheme by purchasing a 5 million euro ($5.6 million) mansion in the resort town of Agia Napa.
Following the unfolding got the 1MDB fiasco, Low had sought an alternative passport to move internationally in this «difficult turning point of his business» in Spring 2015.
«It is very important to note that the date is not irrelevant,» the report highlighted. «On March 10, 2015, the Malaysian Attorney General, by order of the country’s Cabinet of Ministers, conducted an inquiry into the financial accounts of [1MDB]».
Whilst Low has reached a $700 million settlement with the U.S. government, his exact whereabouts remain unknown. Malaysian police claimed in September to have knowledge of his location adding that Low was under the protection of an unnamed person and that his capture could be secured potentially by the end of the year.
