1MDB, subsidiaries file lawsuit against Rosmah for US$346mil

KUALA LUMPUR: 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), SRC International Sdn Bhd and nine subsidiaries have filed a civil lawsuit against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor seeking US$346mil belonging to the company.

The plaintiffs claimed that Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had used the funds from the companies to purchase luxury items such as jewellery, watches and handbags.

Apart from 1MDB and SRC, other plaintiffs were 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd, 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd, Global Diversified Investment Company Ltd (formerly 1MDB Global Investments Ltd).

Other plaintiffs were Affinity Equity International Partners Ltd, Alsen Chance Holdings Ltd, Blackrock Commodities (Global) Ltd, Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners Ltd and Brightstone Jewellery Ltd.

In the lawsuit, filed on May 9 through Messrs Lim Chee Wee Partnership, the plaintiffs named Rosmah as the first defendant and Shabnam Naraindas Daswani (also known as Natasha Mirpuri) as the second defendant.

They claimed that Shabnamm, who was based in Singapore, had purchased or procured the luxury items on behalf of Rosmah.

The plaintiffs claimed that funds from 1MDB and its subsidiaries were channelled to various offshore entities - including Affinity Equity, Alsen Chance, Blackrock Commodities, Blackstone Asia and Brightstone Jewellery - before being paid out to 48 different vendors based in 14 jurisdictions for the luxury goods.

"A total of 320 such payments totalling US$346,010,489 were made," the plaintiffs stated.

They further claimed the goods sought were "traceable substitute" of 1MDB and its subsidiaries’ trust property, thus the plaintiffs had an equitable proprietary interest in the luxury goods.

They were seeking a court declaration that they had equitable proprietary interest in the good and traceable proceeds in the hands of Rosmah as well as an order for Rosmah to pay the first until the sixth plaintiffs a sum of US$346mil.

The lawsuit is fixed for case management on May 24.