Kuala Lumpur is currently in mediation talks in Hong Kong with Julius Baer in a bid to secure an out-of-court settlement, and the government’s case against Deutsche Bank is expected to begin sometime in Kuala Lumpur this month.
No dates have been fixed for the other cases yet.
Johari said other parties that received funds directly from 1MDB are also under the task force’s “legal radar”. He did not elaborate.
“We are flexible. If parties choose to enter into negotiations after suits are filed, we are open,” he said, adding that the task force will intensify efforts in the coming months to recover as much money as possible lost by Malaysia in the scandal.
“There is no slowing down in the asset recovery campaign,” he added.
Through overseas legal actions in foreign jurisdictions and non-conviction-based asset forfeitures, Malaysia has recovered just over RM5.68 billion (US$1.4 billion) as of mid-2025, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
This amount comprises proceeds from the sale of assets such as the superyachts Equanimity and Topaz, as well as luxury real estate and high-value artworks.
On the domestic front, recoveries total about RM19.94 billion (US$4.91 billion), comprising settlements and fines imposed on local and international banks.
These include financial settlements with AmBank Group — the Malaysian bank that served as the primary lender and adviser to 1MDB — as well as international banking giants Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan.
This means Kuala Lumpur has so far clawed back RM25.62 billion, but it is still staring at a major financial shortfall.
Source: CNA
