Standard Chartered Bank faces US$2.7 billion lawsuit in Singapore over alleged role in 1MDB fraud

KUALA LUMPUR: Liquidators seeking to recoup misappropriated funds from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) have filed legal proceedings against Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore over the bank’s alleged role in enabling fraud that led to over US$2.7 billion in financial losses.

The move is the latest in a wide-ranging effort to recover money belonging to 1MDB, from which United States investigators say about US$4.5 billion was stolen in a complex, globe-spanning scheme.

Liquidators from financial services firm Kroll, which filed the lawsuit in the High Court of Singapore, said they were seeking to hold Standard Chartered accountable for its role in allegedly enabling fraud to be committed against 1MDB.

Three companies in liquidation linked to 1MDB say Standard Chartered permitted over 100 intrabank transfers between 2009 and 2013 that helped conceal the flow of stolen funds.

They also allege the bank chose to overlook obvious red flags related to the transfer of funds, resulting in the losses, the liquidators said.

“According to this lawsuit, the transfers demonstrate serious breaches and control failings which ultimately enabled the theft of public funds by people operating at the highest levels of the Malaysian government during that period,” the liquidators said.