KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24): The High Court on Friday (Feb 24) allowed Hollywood film producer Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz and his two companies to amend their statement of defence in a lawsuit filed by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and three of its subsidiaries.

Following the amendment, Riza, Red Granite Pictures Inc and Red Granite Capital Ltd are allowed to include the details of their settlement agreement with the Malaysian government and consent judgement with the US government.

They may also include the fact that the suit was filed after the six-year limitation period that applies to civil cases.

Riza — a stepson of jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak — and his two companies filed their original statement of defence in October 2021, and applied to amend it in August 2022.

This case had been pending due to a change of judges. Initially, it was before High Court judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh. It was subsequently taken over by judicial commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain, before it was transferred to judicial commissioner Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan.

Riza and the two companies now have up to March 10 to file their amended defence. 1MDB — along with 1MDB Energy Ltd, 1MDB Energy Holdings Ltd and 1MDB Energy (Langat) Ltd —  has been given until April 10 to reply to the defence by April 10.

Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah fixed April 12 for further case management. The court also ordered Riza and his companies to pay RM3,000 in costs to 1MDB.

MDB and the three subsidiaries were represented by lawyers Rabindra S Nathan, Nad Segaram, Lim Jun Rui and Amanda Cheak Xin Yi, while Low Zhi Jie appeared for Riza and his companies.

Last August, the High Court allowed the discovery application by 1MDB and the three subsidiaries to obtain documents from Riza and his two companies concerning his correspondence with fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, from 2009 to 2015.

The court also ordered Riza, Granite Pictures and Red Granite Capital to provide all documents in relation to Red Granite Pictures receiving US$10.173 million between April 12, 2011 and Sept 10, 2012, along with documents in relation to the company receiving US$238 million between June 18, 2012 and Nov 14, 2012.

1MDB and the three subsidiaries filed their suit in May 2021. They claimed that Riza misappropriated their funds from Jho Low, or was willful and reckless in failing to make relevant inquiries as to the sources of the funds.

They said the first tranche of payment of more than US$10.173 million made to Riza was from Good Star Ltd, a company controlled by Jho Low, and the US$238 million that Red Granite Capital received was actually from bonds raised by 1MDB for the purchase of several power plants.

Riza, in his defence, claimed that the US$10 million was borrowed from the Saudi royal family, while the US$238 million was borrowed from Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment Company. He also claimed to have paid the US$10 million back to the Saudi royal family.

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Riza Aziz knowingly received US$248 mil misappropriated from 1MDB — statement of claim