PORT KLANG, Aug 7 ― The government said it has laid claim on Equanimity as they believe public funds were misused to purchase the billion-ringgit superyacht.

Lawyer Jeremy Joseph, who is representing 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), said the claim on the boat, which allegedly belongs to fugitive financier Jho Low, was based on civil forfeiture suits made by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) last year.

Joseph, who was among a team that had entered the yacht after it arrived here today at 12.40pm, said while the old management of 1MDB had denied that its funds were used to purchase Equanimity, the new management felt otherwise.

“Our 1MDB legal team was appointed by the Attorney General’s Chambers to represent both the investment firm and Putrajaya.

“We have initiated an admiralty suit, which basically means we can ‘arrest’ the vessel and in order to do that, in pursuant to our rules, we need to get the sheriff to stick the warrant of arrest on the vessel.

“This was the purpose of our visit today,” he told reporters at the Terminal Boustead Cruise Center where the yacht is docked.