KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho has been ordered to forfeit a set of three flawless diamonds purchased for his mother.
According to a FMT report, the diamonds were sourced from a high-profile jeweller known for designing pieces for celebrities like Beyoncé and Adele.
On Monday, Los Angeles's federal judge mandated that the fugitive financier, Jho Low, relinquish ownership of a 7.35-carat diamond ring and matching earrings, each exceeding three carats.
The judge ruled that these items, valued at approximately US$1.17 million (RM5.4 million) and US$628,000 (RM2.9 million), respectively, were acquired through the embezzlement of billions from the 1MDB fund.
The diamonds were crafted by renowned New York-based designer Lorraine Schwartz, also known for creating a US$23 million (RM106.26 million) necklace featuring a substantial pink diamond, which was personally delivered to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
US District Judge Dale Fischer in Los Angeles characterised the diamonds as a gift from Low to his mother, Evelyn, and declared them criminal assets derived from the 1MDB fraud.
Low remains a fugitive from both US and Malaysian authorities.
In June, he agreed to a deal with the US Department of Justice to return over US$100 million (RM471 million) in assets allegedly obtained through 1MDB funds.
He faces charges alongside former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, who was convicted in New York in 2022.
In a related development, Jasmine Loo, a former lawyer for 1MDB, was also ordered to forfeit a Pablo Picasso pencil sketch entitled Trois Femmes Nues et Buste d'Homme, purchased for around US$1.4 million (RM6.5 million).
Loo, who has been charged in Malaysia and testified against Najib this year, has agreed to surrender US$25,000 (RM115,500)held in a Swiss bank account, as ordered by Judge Fischer.