KUALA LUMPUR: Hollywood producer Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz has been ordered by the High Court to furnish documents and correspondence, including one he has with fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in a US$250mil (RM1.03bil) lawsuit filed by the sovereign wealth fund.

This is following a decision by Justice Amarjeet Singh that allowed an application by 1MDB and its three subsidiaries - 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd, 1MDB Energy Ltd and 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd - for discovery of documents in the lawsuit.

In the decision, which was via e-mail exchange, the judge has given 30 days for the defendants to comply with the order and for the costs to be within the cause.

The case has been fixed for further case management before the judge on Sept 12.

According to the writ of summons, 1MDB claimed that Riza Aziz had received approximately US$250mil in funds that were misappropriated from the sovereign wealth fund by its officers and their associates in 2011 and 2012.

It said that Riza Aziz, who controlled Red Granite Pictures and Red Granite Capital, “knew or ought to have known that those funds had been misappropriated”.

It claimed that Riza Aziz and the two companies allegedly used the funds for their personal benefit and for the benefit of their associates, including for the purposes of financing movie productions and purchasing various real estate.

1MDB wants, among others, a court declaration that Riza Aziz and the two companies are liable for the misappropriated funds and alternatively, a declaration that the plaintiffs are entitled to repayment of the said funds allegedly received by the three defendants on the basis of unjust enrichment as a consequence of the misappropriation.

The lawsuit is among 22 legal papers filed by 1MDB and its subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd against individuals, including 1MDB’s former board of directors who allegedly defrauded the companies.

More to come

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/04/riza-ordered-to-furnish-documents-to-1mdb-in-us250mil-lawsuit