DAP MP Tony Pua has called on the Malaysian government to seize yet another luxury superyacht, Topaz, which was claimed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) as having been purchased using 1MDB funds.
This comes after it was reported yesterday that the US$688 million (RM2.96 billion) vessel, renamed A+, is linked to former International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) executives, Khadem al-Qubaisi and Mohamed Badawy al-Husseiny.
The duo was identified as co-conspirators in the financial scandal involving the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund and was allegedly in cahoots with fugitive Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.
“However, despite the revelation that laundered 1MDB funds contributed towards the acquisition of A+, no claims on the A+ has been made to date,” Pua, who is Damansara MP, said in a statement today.
It was reported that Oceanus Maritime Ltd, owned by a United Arab Emirates (UAE) public official who also holds a senior leadership role in Abu Dhabi-owned IPIC, took possession of the yacht, the world’s seventh-largest.
Meanwhile, the owner of the yacht was also said to be Abu Dhabi crown prince Mohammed Zayed Al Nahyan, who was the former chairman of IPIC during its dealings with 1MDB.
According to audio recordings leaked by the MACC, former premier Najib Abdul Razak had purportedly attempted to shield his stepson Riza Abdul Aziz following DOJ’s 1MDB-related civil forfeiture suits in 2016 by phoning in a “personal request” to the crown prince.
The vessel also featured in DOJ filings concerning a 22-carat pink jewel which was reportedly shown to Najib’s wife Rosnah Mansor and Low by New York jeweller Lorraine Schwartz aboard the Topaz in Monaco.
In his statement, Pua (photo) said: “We call upon the Malaysian government to immediately file an international suit against the Oceanus Maritime to demand the return of the misappropriated US$160.9 million (RM687 million) and additional appropriate compensation.
“Should Oceanus Maritime fail to do so, we must demand for the seizure of A+ as we did the Equanimity and carry out an international auction of the luxury mega-yacht.”
“We are hence confident that any proceeds arising from the seizure of the new claims above will in time be repatriated to Malaysia,” Pua said.
Any proceeds obtained must be channelled towards the repayment of remaining 1MDB debt, he added. - Mkini
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