Switzerland seized paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and two Claude Monet paintings. This is because the painting is part of an investigation into the 1MDB corruption scandal in Malaysia.
Spokesman of the Justice Ministry of Switzerland Ingrid Reyser said the beautiful paintings were confiscated following the request of the United States (US). US, one of the countries investigating Malaysia's 1MDB scandal.
The operation was over and we confiscated the three paintings, "Reyser told The Guardian, declining to comment on where the paintings would be stored.
Earlier this week, the US Justice Department filed a lawsuit to recover more than 1 billion USD of money laundering in assets related to the 1MDB fund. Artworks made by Monet and Van Gogh are among the assets listed in the lawsuit filed in the California Federal Court.
The artworks were identified as sketches of Vincent Van Gogh, La Maison De Vincent, Arles, Nympheas Avecy Reflets De Haute Herbe, Sainte Georges Majeur of Claude Monet. Najib Razak has been arrested over the 1MDB scandal.
Authorities in the US, Switzerland and Singapore are investigating claims that Najib, his relatives, and his colleagues take most of the public money via 1MDB. Assets targeted for US foreclosures include royalties from The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is produced by a company owned by Najib's stepdaughter, Riza Aziz, using more than $ 100 million taken from the 1MDB fund.
Both Najib and officials at 1MDB consistently deny the allegations of wrongdoing. They say this as a political attack by their opponents