LIVE: Court delivers judgment in Shakahola mass killings case

PETALING JAYA, October 19 — The Court of Appeal has granted 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and four of its subsidiaries a second opportunity to contest a High Court decision that required fugitive financier Jho Low, known as Low Taek Jho, and his father, Larry Low Hock Peng, to fork over over US$3.7 billion. According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the three-judge panel, led by Justice Azhahari Kamal Ramli, has ordered the application to be re-evaluated by a separate High Court judge.

The case management is set for October 26. Justice Azhahari, joined by Justices Ahmad Kamal Shahid and Alice Loke, did not issue any rulings on costs at this stage. The appeal arose from the Kuala Lumpur High Court's refusal to overturn a default judgment from 2022. This original judgment was handed down after the defendants' defenses were struck down for violating a Mareva injunction, which bars parties from squandering assets.

The five companies had sought the judgment's overturn in order to allow the case to move forward to a full trial and to pursue broader remedies against Jho Low and his father. However, the High Court rejected their application on the grounds that it was filed too late. Lee Shih, represented by Priyadana Annadurai, argued on behalf of 1MDB and its subsidiaries. Neither Jho Low nor his father attended or had legal representation in court.