Oxford-trained judge to hear US$8b 1MDB suit against Najib, Lodin and 13 others

KUALA LUMPUR (May 24): Oxford-trained High Court judicial commissioner Adlin Abdul Majid is set to preside over the main US$7.795 billion 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) suit against former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, its former chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin and 13 others for fraudulent breach of duties and breach of trust.

This case, like 1MDB's suit against its former legal firm Wong and Partners and lawyer Brian Chia Hock Gee, will be heard at the High Court's commercial division.

Adlin's name was brought up following case management of the matter before High Court deputy registrar S Malarselvi today.

She is scheduled to case manage the 1MDB suit via video-conferencing herself on June 4, checks by theedgemarkets.com on the court website revealed.

The main suit was filed by Messrs Skrine on behalf of 1MDB and its four subsidiaries 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd, 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd and Global Diversified Investment Company Ltd, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Ltd, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Besides Najib and Lodin, the others named included former directors Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, Tan Sri Ong Gim Huat and Ashvin Valiram, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, former CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, as well as former chief financial officers Azmi Tahir and Radhi Mohamad.

Also named are former 1MDB officers Terence Geh Choh Heng, Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, Casey Tang Keng Chee, Vincent Beng Huat Koh, Kelvin Tan Kay Jin and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil. 

The causes of action against them are for fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent breach of duties, fraudulent breach of trust, breach of statutory and contractual duties, conspiracy, negligence, knowing receipt, dishonest assistance, fraudulent misappropriation and unjust enrichment where the total quantum sought is US$7.795 billion.

Najib is presently on a criminal trial with four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering worth RM2.28 billion, with Hazem presently on the witness stand. This is the second of three related suits on the former premier in relation to 1MDB. The first two are from SRC.

Besides this main suit and the one against Wong and Partners, 1MDB filed three other suits, namely against fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho and three others, foreign financial institutions Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Coutts & Co, and Najib's step-son and Hollywood producer Riza Aziz.

JC Adlin, who has a BA Hons (Jurisprudence) and her Masters from Oxford University, was elevated on April 1 this year.

Prior to that, she was a partner at Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen and Gledhill.

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