Justice department alleges money to make films including the comedy sequel, and artwork given to Leonardo DiCaprio, may be stolen from Malaysia fund

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The US justice department is seeking to acquire the rights to films, including the comedy sequel Dumb and Dumber To, as part of an effort to recover $540m in assets it says were stolen from Malaysia’s troubled wealth fund.

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The move is the latest effort to seize luxury property, art – including pieces given to stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio – and other assets linked to fraud at the state-owned Malaysian investment fund known as 1MDB.

Red Granite Pictures, the company which produced Dumb and Dumber To, was named by the department in a new complaint that claims the money it used to make the movie is traceable to foreign corruption.

Some of the assets the department is attempting to seize include a rare poster for the film Metropolis which was purchased by the Red Granite CEO, Riza Aziz, the stepson of the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak. Razak is accused of being the main force behind the “rampant looting of state funds”.

The US government is also seeking artwork given to DiCaprio including work by Picasso and the photographer Diane Arbus, as well as a collage by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Hollywood Reporter says the actor has returned an Oscar that was originally given to Marlon Brando.

It is the latest development in a complex money laundering scheme the justice department says was intended to enrich top-level Malaysian officials.

Last summer, prosecutors moved to recover more than $1bn that federal officials say was stolen from the fund that promotes development projects in the Asian country.

The suit also seeks a yacht and millions of dollars of jewelry. The justice department says more than $4.5bn has been stolen from the fund.