PETALING JAYA: In a major development in the 1MDB scandal, a federal judge in Los Angeles has ordered Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, to forfeit a trio of flawless diamonds purchased for his mother.
These diamonds, sourced from a jeweller known for designing for celebrities such as Beyoncé and Adele, include a 7.35-carat diamond ring and matching diamond earrings, both exceeding three carats, Bloomberg reported.
US district judge Dale Fischer ruled that the diamonds, valued at approximately US$1.17 million (approx. RM5.4 million) for the ring and US$628,000 (approx. RM2.9 million) for the earrings, were bought using funds looted from the 1MDB fund.
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He was also quoted as saying that the jewels were “criminal proceeds” of the 1MDB fraud.
The diamonds were made by Lorraine Schwartz, a prestigious New York-based designer. Schwartz also crafted a US$23 million (approx. RM108.7 million) necklace featuring a large pink diamond, which she personally delivered to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, according to US prosecutors.
Low, who remains a fugitive from prosecution by both US and Malaysian authorities, reached a deal in June with the US Justice Department to return over US$100 million (approx. RM466 million) in assets linked to the 1MDB fund.
He was charged alongside former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, who was convicted in New York in 2022.
In a related case, Jasmine Loo, a former 1MDB lawyer, was ordered to forfeit a Pablo Picasso pencil sketch titled “Trois Femmes Nues et Buste d’Homme,“ which she purchased for about US$1.4 million (RM6.5 million).
Loo, who has testified against Najib and faced charges in Malaysia, also agreed to surrender US$25,000 (approx. RM117,500) held in a Swiss bank account, according to an order signed by Fischer.
