KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has instructed Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to file her defence by July 4 in a lawsuit against her by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and 10 others to recover US$346mil belonging to the company, said to have been misused in the purchase of luxury goods.
High Court deputy registrar S. Malarselvi also ordered the plaintiffs to file their statement of claim before June 4. The deadlines were fixed during case management here yesterday.
On May 9, 1MDB together with five of its subsidiaries and five other companies filed the lawsuit against Rosmah seeking US$346mil (RM1.63bil at current rates) belonging to the company.
The statement of claim that is yet to be filed by the plaintiffs will outline the facts, legal grounds and relief sought in the lawsuit.
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.
The five subsidiaries are SRC International Sdn Bhd, 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd, 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd and Global Diversified Investment Company Ltd (formerly 1MDB Global Investments Ltd).
The five other plaintiffs are Affinity Equity International Partners Ltd, Alsen Chance Holdings Ltd, Blackrock Commodities (Global) Ltd, Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners Ltd and Brightstone Jewellery Ltd.
All the plaintiffs named Rosmah as the first defendant and Shabnam Naraindas Daswani (also known as Natasha Mirpuri) as the second defendant.
They claim that Shabnam, a fashion designer based in Singapore, had purchased or procured the luxury items on behalf of Rosmah.
The plaintiffs claim 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 claim the goods sought were a “traceable substitute” of 1MDB and its subsidiaries’ trust property, thus the plaintiffs have an equitable proprietary interest in the luxury goods.
They are seeking a court declaration that they have 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.
Case management is fixed on June 14 via Zoom.
