The US justice department says an economic development fund, meant to benefit Malaysia, was plundered by its overseers who then bought expensive art, high end real estate, a jet and even financed the hit movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The film, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, told the story of a crooked stock trader.
Court filings allege $3.5 billion, intended for Malaysian economic development, was diverted and used to purchase a range of assets, including artworks by Van Gogh and Monet and through a company called, Red Granite Productions, make the Wall Street film for $100 million dollars.
The Justice Department is seeking to seize roughly $1 billion dollars of $3.5 billion; the amount the DOJ says was laundered through American banks and therefore subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
Among those implicated, is the stepson of Mayasia’s Prime MInister.