Judge orders Malaysia’s Jho Low to surrender mother’s US$1.8 million in diamonds

The judge ruled they were bought in the looting of billions of dollars from the Malaysian fund. The ring is valued at about US$1.17 million and the earrings are worth about US$628,000, the United States says.

US District Judge Dale Fischer in Los Angeles described the diamonds as a gift from Low to his mother Evelyn and ruled that the jewels were “criminal proceeds” of the 1MDB fraud.

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Low remains a fugitive from prosecution by both US authorities and Malaysia. He reached a deal in June with the US Justice Department to return more than US$100 million of assets which the government alleges he acquired using funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Meanwhile, in a related case, Jasmine Loo, a former lawyer for 1MDB, was ordered on Monday to forfeit a Pablo Picasso pencil sketch drawing titled Trois Femmes Nues et Buste d’Homme, which she bought for about US$1.4 million.

Loo, who was charged by Malaysia authorities and testified against Razak this year, also agreed to surrender US$25,000 held in a Swiss bank account, according to an order signed on Monday by Fischer.