The Equannimity (Source: freemalaysiatoday)Hanoi(VNA) - Indonesia on February 28 seizeda luxury yacht on the island of Bali as part of a corruption investigationlinked to Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MBD).
Agung Setya,director of economic and special crimes at Indonesia's criminal investigationbureau, told Metro TV that the investigation agency inspected the crew and arrestedthem as the seizure of the boat was approved by a court.
There were34 crew on board, said Setya, adding that he could not say how theinvestigation would proceed. However, US officials have alleged the Equanimitywas bought using money from the fund.
MalaysianPrime Minister Najib Razak set up 1MDB in 2009 and served as chairman of itsadvisory board until 2017. The fund is at the centre of money-laundering probesin several countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.
A total of 4.5billion USD was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund andtheir associates, according to civil lawsuits filed by the US Department ofJustice (DOJ) in the past two years.
In August2017, the DOJ asked for a stay on its civil lawsuits seeking to seize more than1.7 billion USD in assets allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB funds because itwas conducting a related criminal probe.
Among theassets sought were the 250 million USD Equanimity bought by Malaysian financierJho Low, named as a key figure in the US lawsuits.
Otherassets allegedly bought by Low with stolen 1MDB funds include a private jet, ahotel and real estate in New York, and a 107-million USD interest in EMI MusicPublishing.-VNA
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