In a statement today, it said more than RM5 billion (US$1.2 billion) has been returned so far.

It said civil forfeiture complaints have alleged that more than RM18 billion in funds belonging to 1MDB had been misappropriated by high-level officials and others, including fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or better known as Jho Low.

Previously, reports indicated that the funds were laundered through major financial institutions worldwide in the US, Switzerland, Singapore and Luxembourg.

Since 2016, DoJ had filed 41 civil forfeiture actions under the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) leading to the seizure of over RM7 billion in stolen assets.

It said it will continue to litigate action against additional assets allegedly linked to the scandal.

Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had said in May that Malaysia’s Asset Recovery Trust Account had received RM16.05 billion in seized and repatriated 1MDB funds as of then.

The ministry said any balance in the trust account would be used to primarily repay and service debts accrued by 1MDB and its former subsidiary, SRC International Sdn Bhd.

To date, the government has repaid RM12.4 billion of 1MDB’s debt and RM3.1 billion of SRC’s debt.

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