The NatWest boss, the missing Malaysian billions and the damning email

The superyacht Alfa Nero, scene of the meeting on the French Riviera that would lead to the plunder of Malaysia’s wealth fund. Photograph: Alamy

On a summer’s day in 2009 on the sparkling waters of the French Riviera, the superyacht Alfa Nero was playing host to a crucial meeting that, it is alleged, was part of a plot that triggered one of the world’s biggest financial scandals.

Najib Razak, then prime minister of Malaysia, met the young financier Jho Low and the bosses of the international oil firm PetroSaudi International to discuss the potential of a partnership involving his country’s wealth fund 1MDB. The bones of a deal were quickly agreed.