Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor successfully persuaded a High Court judge to recuse herself from hearing a civil suit filed against her by 1MDB, which is seeking RM1.62 billion (US$346 million) over alleged misuse of funds to buy luxury goods.
Judge Leong Wai Hong recused himself after Rosmah's team argued that his past relationship with the 1MDB law firm could create bias.
The issue involving Rosmah and her counterpart, Shabnam Naraindas Daswani (otherwise known as Natasha Mirpuri), now has to wait for the appointment of a new judge before the trial can continue.
The suit alleges that Rosmah and Shabnam bought luxury goods worth millions of ringgit, allegedly obtained through misappropriation of 1MDB funds.
The court now orders the return of the items along with the replacement of the funds that have been used by Rosmah and Shabnam.
This development adds to the drama in the ongoing 1MDB scandal, with attention now focused on who will replace the judge and what the next step in this controversial case will be.
Is this decision proof of a fair judicial system or another ploy to delay the trial?
