Indonesian courts have ruled in favor of the beleaguered owner of the superyacht Equanimity, which is currently under custody of the US Department of Justice (DoJ), which is trying to drag the monstrosity back to America.
A South Jakarta District Court judge, however, has decided that because the yacht was not linked to any criminal case in Indonesia, the seizure was invalid and an overstepping of US jurisdiction.
You may remember the yacht as one of the central figures linked to elusive Malaysian financier, lover of extravagant gifts and former unofficial king of the friend zone, Low Taek Jho.
In a statement to Free Malaysia Today, Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd said that the court’s conclusion “upholds the rule of law and confirms that the FBI-instigated seizure of the vessel was improper and unlawful.”
Previously, they had tried to argue against the floating castle’s seizure, telling courts that the DoJ was ill-versed in super yacht maintenance (peasants!), and amateurs in re-sale market assessment (peons!).
Their statement went on to say: “The incident is yet another example of the unjustified global overreach by the US government, which has gone to extreme and improper lengths to seize assets around the world while steadfastly avoiding having to prove that there are any merits to its case.”
Equanimity is at the center of an investigation linked to accusations of ill-gotten capital from the 1MDB state sovereign fund by Jho Low.
Other assets linked to Low that the DoJ is seeking to seize include a private jet, a hotel, and New York real estate. Jewelry gifted to model Miranda Kerr, and a Picasso given to celebrity Leonardo Di Caprio by him have since been handed over to authorities by both parties.
The yacht’s ephemeral owner has been fighting its extradition since the $250 million floater was first seized in Bali on Feb. 28. Indonesian police then handed over the yacht to the FBI; however, the boat’s fate has now been thrown into limbo by the South Jakarta District Court’s ruling.
Our verdict: Wake us up when that thing is ready for a party again, either in Seminyak, or San Diego.
