Former Apco Worldwide Malaysia managing director Paul Stadlen had left Malaysia before the May 9 general election.

According to Bernama, this was confirmed by MACC deputy commissioner (operations) Azam Baki.

"Yes, he left Malaysia before GE14," Azam said when quizzed on the whereabouts of the Briton who is being sought to facilitate MACC's investigation into the 1MDB scandal.

British newspaper The Daily Mail has reported that Stadlen, 39, is believed to have flown to London before heading to an unknown destination.

According to the report, he was believed to have fled from Malaysia but it did not state when exactly he left.

Stadlen's last address in Malaysia was Unit A-29-8, Blok A, Loft Sentral Condominium, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.

In 2009, it was reported that Apco won a government contract and Stadlen was heading to Malaysia to become managing director of the new office in Kuala Lumpur to service the government of Malaysia and then prime minister, Najib Abdul Razak.

The contract was estimated to be worth RM3 million a year.

'Apco worked with the Jewish lobby'

However, Apco's involvement with Putrajaya became controversial after it was revealed that the PR firm also worked with what is known as the “Jewish lobby” in Washington, forcing the Najib administration to cancel the contract.

Following this, Stadlen moved to FBC Media.

In 2011, Sarawak Report revealed that FBC Media won contracts worth RM84 million and RM15 million from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Sarawak government to promote Najib and then Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and various government projects to UK and US news stations such as BBC, CNBC and CNN.

This led to the termination of FBC media's contracts as it was in violation of the broadcast laws in the UK and US.

Stadlen was then roped in to work directly for the PMO and in November of that year, the Prime Minister's Department told Parliament that Stadlen was not paid a salary or allowance by the government.

Then minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman said Stadlen was not a government servant.

"Paul Stadlen was not a government servant. Thus, he has never received any allowance and wages from the government," Azalina had said.