Malaysian police will investigate claims that fugitive financier Jho Low returned to the country for secret meetings.

Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said the claims that Low, whose full name is Low Taek Jho, had come to Malaysia for meetings had not been verified.

“We have not verified whether the claims are true or otherwise,” he told reporters on Saturday. “We will take appropriate action to investigate the matter further.”

He was commenting on an article by Sarawak Report exclusive claiming that Low’s plea for a US presidential pardon was filed in January amid extraordinary circumstances, with the Malaysian fraudster playing a key role in secret negotiations between China and Malaysia to write off 1MDB-related debts at the end of last year.

The online portal also quoted sources claiming that Low attended the meetings in Kuala Lumpur, under the protection of the Chinese delegation. Low’s intricate knowledge of the situation and contacts in Malaysia played into his involvement in a key resolution of the situation, it reported.