Judicial commissioner in 1MDB lawsuit had past links with wealth fund, maintains he will be impartial

KUALA LUMPUR: A High Court judicial commissioner (JC) who is set to preside over a lawsuit by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) against 15 individuals, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has disclosed his relations with the sovereign wealth fund and a defendant in the case.

A lawyer from law firm Skrine, who is representing 1MDB, confirmed to The Star that JC Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad made the disclosure during case management that prior to his appointment as JC, 1MDB had engaged his former law firm (during his time in private practice) to act for 1MDB in relation to a construction adjudication issue where 1MDB was being sued.