Equanimity

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 7): Low Taek Jho, nicknamed Jho Low, the alleged mastermind behind the financial troubles at 1MDB, is asking the US to declare about what it knows about the transfer of the luxury super yacht Equanimity (pictured) to Malaysia from Indonesia, Bloomberg reported today.

According to the Bloomberg report, lawyers representing Low filed a notice on Monday to a California district court to direct the Washington to reveal knowledge of the yacht’s transfer.

Low is also demanding that the US state any efforts it has made to secure the vessel in a status report by Aug 17, and reveal the actions Washington has taken to get clarification of Putrajaya’s intentions.

A spokesman for the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles Thom Mrozek told Bloomberg that the US was not party to the agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia.

The US Justice Department had earlier wanted to seize the yacht as part of its 1MDB probe.

It was announced yesterday that the US$250 million (RM1.02 billion) Equanimity had been handed over to Malaysia by the Indonesian government.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday challenged any party wanting to claim ownership of the Equanimity to come forward and furnish proof of their claim.

Dr Mahathir said the Malaysian government believes the vessel belongs to the country “because the vessel has been bought with Malaysian money stolen by certain parties”.

“If there is any party who wants to claim that this vessel belongs to them, they can show proof of ownership. We want to know where they can get so much money to buy such an expensive yacht. If they can prove that the money [used to buy Equanimity] came from themselves and not from stolen money, then they have the right to claim back the yacht,” Dr Mahathir said in a two-and-a-half-minute video posted on his Facebook page from Fukuoka, Japan yesterday.

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