A former associate of Low Taek Jho, commonly known as Jho Low and a key figure in the 1MDB case, Kee Kok Thiam, has passed away, according to a source from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Kee had recently been deported from Macau and provided information about the whereabouts of fugitive Jho Low.
News of his death was confirmed when MACC was asked by the Malay Mail to verify Kee’s obituary.
It is believed that Kee passed away unexpectedly due to an illness. He will be cremated at Kepong Crematorium.
Family’s wishes
Meanwhile, the family of Kee has appealed for an end to the speculation surrounding his unexpected death two days ago.
Represented by law firm Valen, Oh, and Partners, the family issued a concise statement asserting that Kee passed away in the hospital on Monday as a result of a sudden massive stroke.
The statement emphasized the family’s plea for all parties to refrain from engaging in any conjecture about this unfortunate incident and to grant the family the privacy and time they need to mourn their loss.
“We urge all parties not to entertain any speculation on this unfortunate event and allow the family the space to grieve on his passing,” the statement read.
Kee’s role in the 1MDB scandal
Kee had played a crucial role as a witness in the local investigations of the global corruption scandal surrounding 1MDB, which was masterminded by Low.
He was interrogated by Malaysian authorities upon his return to the country after being deported from Macau for overstaying his visa and admitted to meeting Jho Low and other individuals involved in the 1MDB scandal, including Eric Tan Kim Loong, Casey Tang Keng Chee, Geh Choh Heng, and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, during his time in Macau.
According to reports, Kee came under suspicion for allegedly obtaining funds from the improper diversion of funds from 1MDB and SRC. These funds were believed to have been funneled through a company called Wright Shaw Limited.
Working together, the MACC and the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore police successfully seized around US$5.2 million (RM23 million) from the bank account of Wright Shaw Limited. It was strongly believed that this account was linked to the misappropriated funds.
The investigations uncovered that Kee had received money that originated from the embezzled 1MDB funds, which were routed through Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M).
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