Why The Seizure Of 4 Special Edition Bugatti Veyron Cars In Munich Matters For Malaysia
The combined value of the four supercars is worth RM57.2 million.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Apr 2024, 11:13 AM
In a covert raid last week, plainclothes members from Germany's white-collar crimes department seized four special edition Bugatti Veyron hypercars from a private storage facility in Munich
According to the German publication Bild, the cars were found in the parking lot of Motorworld Munich, an automotive paradise space with showrooms and luxury hotel rooms in the northern part of the city.
The four seized Veyrons — Rembrandt, Black Bess, Jean-Pierre Wimille, and Meo Constantini — are part of the 'Les Legendes de Bugatti' edition, with only 18 ever built, across six bespoke lines.
The American automotive magazine Road & Track reported that each car was priced around USD3 million (approximately RM14.3 million) when new, but their current values are difficult to determine.
Only the crème de la crème of society have a chance to own these cars.
Why is this important for Malaysia?
The seizure of the four special edition Bugatti Veyrons in Munich might seem unrelated to Malaysia, but local authorities should take note as the raid is linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
The German publication reported the supercars were seized by members of Kriminalfachdezernats 7, the criminal investigation department of Munich specialising in white-collar crimes.
While Munich police were unwilling to share any specific details about the ongoing case, Bild reported that its sources within the judicial system confirmed that the cars were seized as part of an investigation into the sovereign wealth fund used to embezzle billions of dollars from the Malaysian public.
Earlier this month, it was reported that two former PetroSaudi managers went on trial in Switzerland for allegedly defrauding the 1MDB fund. The two — a Swiss Saudi citizen and a Swiss British national — are accused of creating a fake joint venture to steal USD1.8 billion from the fund and allegedly used to pay for jewellery, hotels, art, and a luxury yacht, and to finance Hollywood films such as The Wolf of Wall Street.
Although the trial marks the first legal action in Switzerland linked to the massive 1MDB scandal, it is unclear whether the seized supercars belong to the two PetroSaudi managers, Bild reported.
The Royal Malaysia Police, however, are unaware of this development
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain told Scoop that they have not received any information about the investigation in Germany, but the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission might investigate it.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was convicted and sentenced to 12 years for taking millions from 1MDB for personal use:
