Macau’s security office said it was “very surprised and shocked” after Malaysia’s anti-graft body this week reportedly claimed the fugitive financier Low Taek Jho is hiding in the territory, continuing a years-long dispute over his whereabouts. 

The region’s Office of the Secretary for Security (GSS) said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission “didn’t check the situation and seek assistance through channels of international police cooperation, but unilaterally released unconfirmed news.”

The GSS didn’t name Low in its statement but referred back to its previous position, from July 2020, where it disputed Malaysian authorities’ claim at the time that Low was in Macau. “The relevant situation has not changed,” the agency said. 

The statement followed an Al Jazeera report on May 30 citing the MACC saying that Low, who’s wanted in the multibillion ringgit 1MDB scandal, is believed to be living in Macau. 

But Billion Dollar Whale co-author Bradley Hope on Tuesday (May 30) claimed that Low is in fact under house arrest in Shanghai.

“Jho Low was in Macau a lot from 2015-2018, as well as Hong Kong Kong, Shenzhen & Thailand but after Najib (Razak)‘s electoral defeat his movements were more restricted to the mainland.

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“We at @WhaleHunting_ believe he’s under house arrest in Shanghai,” he tweeted.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has accused Low of stealing US$1.42 billion from three bond transactions that Goldman Sachs Group arranged for the Malaysian wealth fund. Malaysian authorities have been working to repatriate Jho Low for years. 

“To date, the situation remains unchanged,” GSS said, referring to its July 2020 statement. BLOOMBERG