Supported
The cited record supports the material proposition.
The US Department of Justice said in July 2016 that it was seeking to recover more than US$1 billion in assets it alleged were traceable to the misappropriation of more than US$3.5 billion from 1MDB.
- Claim made by
- US Department of Justice, regulator statement
- Published
- 20 July 2016
- Evidence score
- 84 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The cited record is the DOJ press release of 20 July 2016S1. It states the department sought forfeiture and recovery of more than US$1 billion in assets and that more than US$3.5 billion was allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. The claim repeats what the release says, so it is supported as a statement of the department's action. The release rests on civil forfeiture complaints, which are allegations and not findings of guilt. The 2016 cases were later resolved in the October 2019 settlementS3. The figure sought and the misappropriation figure are the department's own numbers.
Current procedural position
Civil forfeiture complaints filed 20 July 2016. These are allegations, not findings. The Low related assets were later resolved in the October 2019 settlementS1S3.
Record supporting the assessment
the forfeiture and recovery of more than $1 billion in assets
more than $3.5 billion in funds belonging to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was allegedly misappropriated
the largest single action ever brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative
Conflicting or limiting record
No record located that conflicts with this assessment.
Evidence score: 84 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of 1Malaysia Development Berhad. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 27 | 30 | A DOJ press release on its own forfeiture action is a competent record of what it sought. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 19 | 20 | The release states the amounts sought and misappropriated directly. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 11 | 15 | The 2018 and 2019 DOJ releases repeat the misappropriation figures and the settlementS2S3. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 9 | 15 | Civil forfeiture complaints are allegations, later resolved by settlement, not a finding. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 9 | 10 | Checked against the 2019 settlement and later developments to October 2026. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 9 | 10 | The release is public on the DOJ site. |
| Total | 84 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. assets traceable to 1MDB (in rem)US District Court for the Central District of California. Civil. Not published on the releases we read.Stage: Low related assets resolved by the October 2019 settlementS3
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S1Tier A United States Seeks to Recover More Than $1 Billion Obtained from Corruption Involving Malaysian Sovereign Wealth FundUS Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. Government press release. 20 July 2016.DOJ press release on the July 2016 civil forfeiture complaints. Supports the amount sought and the misappropriation figure. These are allegations, not findings.
- S2Tier A Malaysian Financier Low Taek Jho, AKA Jho Low, and Former Banker Ng Chong Hwa, AKA Roger Ng, Indicted for Conspiring to Launder Billions of Dollars in Illegal ProceedsUS Department of Justice, Eastern District of New York. Government press release. 1 November 2018.DOJ release announcing the 1 November 2018 indictment of Low and Ng. Supports the charge and that Low is at large. An indictment is an allegation.
- S3Tier A United States Reaches Settlement to Recover More Than $700 Million in Assets Allegedly Traceable to Corruption Involving Malaysian Sovereign Wealth FundUS Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. Government press release. 30 October 2019.DOJ release on the 30 October 2019 settlement to forfeit assets worth more than US$700 million. Supports that the civil case is not a criminal finding and that charges remain open.
Other claims about 1Malaysia Development Berhad
- Unresolved77The US Department of Justice announced on 1 November 2018 that Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, was indicted for conspiring to launder billions of dollars embezzled from 1MDB and that he remained at large.Regulator statement, 1 November 20183 records citedMoney laundering
- Partly supported62The Edge Malaysia reported that Jho Low, in a statement of defence, said the October 2019 settlement with the US Department of Justice did not constitute an admission of guilt or any wrongdoing.Press report, 28 January (year not shown on page)4 records citedMoney laundering
- Supported79The Federal Court of Malaysia on 23 August 2022 unanimously upheld the conviction and 12 year jail sentence of former prime minister Najib Razak in the SRC International case.Press report, 23 August 20226 records citedMoney laundering