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Singapore court rejects US$2.7 billion 1MDB-linked suit against Standard Chartered, BSI

The judge dismissed the liquidators’ suit as the alleged transactions happened before Singapore’s cross-border insolvency law took effect

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The Standard Chartered logo is seen on its office tower in Singapore’s Marina Bay Financial Centre. Photo: Harvey Kong
Singapore’s High Court has dismissed a bid by foreign liquidators to sue Standard Chartered Bank and BSI Bank in the city state over transactions alleged to be linked to the scandal-hit Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, according to a judgment on Wednesday.
Representatives of the liquidators did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Standard Chartered said the bank welcomed the court’s decision.

Liquidators began legal proceedings against the London-headquartered bank in Singapore, according to a statement from July, with the claimants alleging Standard Chartered permitted more than 100 intrabank transfers between 2009 and 2013 that helped to conceal the flow of stolen funds.

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Those transfers led to the loss of more than US$2.7 billion for the claimants, as well as S$20 million (US$15.5 million) in public funds, according to the liquidators.

US and Malaysian investigators say about US$4.5 billion was stolen from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund between 2009 and 2014 in a complex, globe-spanning scheme.

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