Malaysia wins Dutch case over Sulu heirs’ US$15 billion award
Malaysia wins Dutch case over Sulu heirs’ US$15 billion award
Malaysia paid a token sum annually to the sultan’s heirs to honour the agreement but stopped in 2013, prompting the heirs to seek arbitration.
Azalina said the matter affected Malaysia’s sovereignty, and accused Stampa of evading the oversight of the Spanish courts.
She also raised questions over legal fees paid to Stampa after his ruling.
“The amount he awarded is one of the highest in the world for arbitration. It’s a percentage of our GDP. You’re going to bankrupt a country like ours,” Azalina said.
Stampa’s fees after delivering the award came to about US$2.3 million, court documents showed. The heirs’ US$20 million litigation costs were funded by Therium, a London-based firm that provides financing for litigation and arbitration cases.
The heirs, who suffered a setback in June after a Paris court upheld the Malaysian government’s challenge against a partial award, are also trying to strengthen their case in Madrid.
Last week, they filed a criminal case against the Spanish justice system, claiming a court clerk in Madrid improperly sent an email ordering Stampa to step down from the case.
We are seeking a declaration that there has been interference in the administration of the award
The email did not include any legal documents, failed to attach the ruling and did not stipulate the possibility of an appeal, said Carlos Aranguez, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
“There is a crime of prevarication, procedural fraud, false documentation and coercion,” he said. “We are seeking a declaration that there has been interference in the administration of the award.”
The court has not yet decided whether to hear the heirs’ case.