KLANG – The 1MDB legal team appointed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to represent both the investment firm and Putrajaya today said it would take six to nine months to determine who owns the 91m luxury yacht Equanimity.
Lawyer Jeremy M Joseph said the process could be completed sooner, depending on whether there had been any serious contest for ownership.
“But the courts will do that. Now, we are seeking the declaration (on ownership).
“We are also asking for an order for sale of the vessel because it is quite expensive to maintain the vessel,” he said in Port Klang today following the arrival of the superyacht from Indonesia.
Joseph said it would cost about RM3 million a month to maintain the yacht.
Equanimity arrived at about 12.15pm today at the Boustead Cruise Centre terminal in Pulau Indah. It was escorted by marine police patrol boats.
The US$250 million yacht, which is at the centre of a US investigation into 1MDB, earlier travelled from Tanjung Benoa port in Bali to Batam island before leaving for Malaysia yesterday.
It is believed that the Indonesian government, which seized the yacht at the request of US authorities early this year, decided to hand it over to Malaysia following a visit by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Jakarta last June.
Joseph described the yacht as “classy” with its combination of timber and marble finishing.
Another lawyer representing the case, Sitpah Selvaratnam, said the legal team was in the yacht for about two-and-a-half hours.
“We are not in a position to tell you what exactly we found on the vessel,” she said.
She said the vessel was currently under the jurisdiction of the courts. Therefore, no one can move it and no activity can take place without the courts’ permission. =- FMT
Reports: Equanimity upkeep to cost RM3m a month
The legal team representing 1MDB and the government reportedly said that it would cost RM3 million per month to sell the superyacht Equanimity.
Lawyer Jeremy Joseph was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying it could take courts between six to nine months to determine who owns the RM1 billion vessel.
“This is depending on whether there is any serious contest for ownership over the vessel. But the courts will do that.
“Now, we are seeking the declaration (on ownership). We are also asking for an order for sale of the vessel, because it is quite expensive to maintain the vessel,” he said in Port Klang after the Equanimity’s docking today.
Joseph reportedly described the vessel as “classy,” with a combination of timber and marble finishing.
Another member of the legal team, Sitpah Selvaratnam, said the Equanimity is now under the jurisdiction of the courts.
Hence, no one can move it and no activity can take place in relation to the vessel without the court’s permission.
Meanwhile, Sinar Harian quoted Joseph saying that he and the rest of his 16-member team had to wear special shoe covers to ensure that they did not leave any scratches on the vessel’s interior.
“We were not allowed to wear our own shoes, but had to wear shoe covers to maintain the marble and flooring of the vessel,” he said.
He also reportedly mentioned that apart from timber and marble, the vessel also had leather finishing.
Asked whether the financier Low Taek Jho had used the vessel, Joseph said he has no information on the matter.
“The captain and crew are also new. They had just signed the contract three months ago.
“We have also issued a warrant against the captain and spoke to the captain to find out what happened that involves the vessel,” he was quoted as saying. — M’kini
FMT / MKINI
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