KUALA LUMPUR:Fugitive businessman, Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, who became the 'mastermind' in the 1MDB scandal believes he did nothing wrong and had only borrowed money from 1MDB.<br /> <br /> Jho Low's confession was made via a recording of a telephone conversation with a former government official under the leadership of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad which was revealed through a documentary broadcast by the Al Jazeera station.<br /> <br /> The one-hour documentary entitled 'Jho Low - Hunt for a Fugitive' started with a phone call between Jho Low and the Malaysian government between May and November 2018.<br /> <br /> Jho Low insisted that he had only borrowed billions of dollars from 1MDB for himself.<br /> <br /> "I believe I did not do anything wrong," he said through the recording of a telephone conversation obtained exclusively by Al Jazeera.<br /> <br /> He added that the money was spent, among others, to buy luxury properties around the world, artwork, private jets, large luxury yachts and expensive liquor.<br /> <br /> In fact, Jho Low is prepared to return the money as long as he is not charged in court.<br /> <br /> “All these are actually just a loan, directly or indirectly, but, finally, I think, the time has come, we want to help to return these assets.<br /> <br /> "And in return for the cooperation given, we want to continue living without facing any charges," he said.<br /> <br /> <img alt="Debra LaPrevotte was also involved in the preliminary investigation into 1MDB. File pic" imgtitle="Debra LaPrevotte was also involved in the preliminary investigation into 1MDB. File pic" src="https://img.astroawani.com/2020-11/51605569784_freesize.jpg" style="width: 840px; height: 553px;" /><br /> <br /> Former FBI special agent Debra LaPrevotte, who was involved in the early stages of the 1MDB investigation and is now a senior investigator of anti-kleptocratic NGO The Sentry, dismissed Jho Low's allegations.<br /> <br /> "If it is true that it does not involve any misconduct, then there is no need to return the assets, right? Of course no asset will be confiscated.<br /> <br /> "This is funny. It seems like, if I keep talking about this lie, maybe someone will eventually believe me," LaPrevotte said.<br /> <br /> <img alt="Bill McMurry believes the only way Jho Low can continue to escape is through corruption. File pic" imgtitle="Bill McMurry believes the only way Jho Low can continue to escape is through corruption. File pic" src="https://img.astroawani.com/2020-11/71605569791_freesize.jpg" style="width: 840px; height: 553px;" /><br /> <br /> Meanwhile, former FBI Agent Bill McMurry believes the only way Jho Low can continue to be on the run is through corruption and with the help of 'superiors'.<br /> <br /> "I believe that in this long period, there will be people from the highest and most powerful levels who can allow him to return to Malaysia without any charges," he said.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Jho Low also blamed 1MDB and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was also the Finance Minister at the time.<br /> <br /> He claimed that all approvals involving 1MDB were made by Najib as the responsible Finance Minister at that time.<br /> <br /> Jho Low also backed the US Department of Justice, saying that most of the $1 billion deposited into Najib's personal account was not a donation from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, as the former prime minister claimed.<br /> <br /> He claimed that the donation was only a small part of the amount.<br /> <br /> To date, Jho Low is still being hunted and police believe the businessman is still in Macau despite the Chinese authorities denying the matter.<br /> <br />