Amicorp denies alleged fraud over US$7bil in 1MDB scandal

 

Amicorp denies the sovereign wealth fund’s allegations of facilitating over US$7 billion in fraudulent transactions tied to the 1MDB scandal. (Reuters pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Corporate services provider Amicorp Group has denied allegations that it knowingly facilitated more than US$7 billion in fraudulent transactions related to the misappropriation of funds from scandal-hit state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Amicorp will defend itself and dispute the relief sought by 1MDB in court following a legal claim of more than US$1 billion filed by the sovereign wealth fund in the British Virgin Islands, Amicorp said in a statement late on Monday.

1MDB filed the claim against Amicorp and its CEO, alleging that they played a vital role in enabling the sovereign wealth fund to be defrauded between 2009 and 2014.

The claim is among one of the biggest filed by 1MDB related to the multibillion-dollar graft scandal.

1MDB alleges that Hong Kong-headquartered Amicorp created and managed a complex conspiracy consisting of layers of shell companies, sham transactions, and fraudulent financial structures that obscured the true origin and destination of the funds.

Amicorp said the misappropriated 1MDB funds were “ill-gotten by or for the benefit” of Malaysian senior government officials and the United Arab Emirates sovereign funds’ top senior management.

Malaysian and US investigators previously estimated that US$4.5 billion was siphoned away from 1MDB following its inception in 2009, implicating former prime minister Najib Razak, Goldman Sachs staff, and high-level officials elsewhere. Najib is currently in prison but has denied wrongdoing. - FMT