MALAYSIA took custody of the Equanimity with the full knowledge of the US government, which did not protest, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysiakini reports.

He said Malaysian authorities informed the US before taking possession of the yacht at the centre of a custody battle being waged in the media.

“As far as we know, they have not protested our taking over the boat. We told (them) that before (we seized the yacht) ,” Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying on Malaysiakini, in Hangzhou, China, during a visit to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group headquarters. 

Lawyers acting for Low Taek Jho, the wanted financier who allegedly owns the RM1 billion vessel, had claimed today that Malaysia had defied US and Indonesian court rulings to illegally seize the asset.

In a statement today, the lawyers said the US Department of Justice had in an August 6 court filing confirmed that Malaysia had illegally confiscated the luxury yacht without its knowledge.

Low’s lawyer said the court filing, made in response to the lawyers’ notice to a California district court directing the US government to reveal what it knew about the yacht’s custody transfer, showed Dr Mahathir and Attorney-General Tommy Thomas had lied about the seizure being aboveboard.

“Malaysia’s illegal seizure of Equanimity was without US knowledge or consent, and in violation of both a US court order and a decision of an Indonesian court,” said the lawyers.

Dr Mahathir today declined to respond to Low’s accusations. 

“I don’t comment about Jho Low.”

The California Central District Court had ordered the DoJ in May to have the vessel brought to the US to facilitate an interlocutory sale of the vessel. The order still stands.

The yacht, which was seized by Indonesia in February, is among assets worth US$1.7 billion (RM6.9 billion) that US investigators said were bought using money embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Dr Mahathir has thanked Indonesian President Joko Widodo for his cooperation in handing over the Equanimity to Malaysia.

The prime minister has also challenged the putative owner to prove that he bought the vessel with his own money and not money stolen from 1MDB.

The yacht arrived in Malaysia last week after what Thomas said were “sensitive and delicate negotiations with the US”. It is docked at the Boustead Cruise Centre Terminal. 

Dr Mahathir has indicated a wish for a “quick sale” of the vessel. He had professed amazement at the sheer luxuriousness of the yacht after a tour on August 6.

“Very luxurious… super luxurious. I’ve been on yachts before but nothing like this. Everything is superb, and it’s bought with stolen money by crooks,” Dr Mahathir said.  – August 18, 2018.