U.S. Justice Department files lawsuit in connection with 1MDB probe

[July 20, 2016]  (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to seize properties tied to Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, said it seeks to seize assets "involved in and traceable to an international conspiracy to launder money misappropriated from 1MDB".

The suit says the alleged offences were committed over a four-year period and involved multiple individuals, including Malaysian officials and their associates, who conspired to fraudulently divert billions of dollars from 1MDB.

(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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