Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (June 13):  The U.S. government’s Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed lawsuits aiming to seize a London penthouse with views of Buckingham Palace and a nearby office that served as headquarters for a lingerie company, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

In a report June 12, WSJ said the DoJ move was because it believes the properties were acquired with funds from a financial scandal in Malaysia.

WSJ said the penthouse, office building and another flat are all located on Stratton Street opposite the Ritz hotel in the upmarket Mayfair district.

It said they were acquired with £77 million (US$98 million) which billionaire Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) allegedly obtained from Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

WSJ reported that the DoJ said this in court documents filed June 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

It further said that the London properties are the latest in a string of homes, art and other assets scattered around the world to be targeted for seizure by the U.S.

The Justice Department has previously identified van Gogh and Monet paintings, and luxury real estate in New York, Los Angeles and London, allegedly bought with money stolen from 1MDB.

WSJ added that the DoJ said in the filings it is seeking the forfeiture of the properties in London because they were “derived from violations of U.S. law” and were involved with money-laundering offenses.

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