SDNY COURTHOUSE, Aug 25 – The 1MDB scandal
has stretched from Malaysia to the U.S. District Court for
the Eastern District of New York, where Inner City Press
covered the Roger Ng criminal trial now to the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New
York.
Kasseem Dean a/k/a Swizz Beatz has
been sued for the over $7 million in 1MDB money he took.
On April 23 there was a 2 pm conference scheduled in the
case and Inner City Press went. But the outer door to the
courtroom was locked.
After a time it open. The lawyers
went in. But when Inner City Press tried the door, it was
locked again. After a time it was opened and Inner City
Press went in. But the transparency - which is required -
was short-lived:
Defense lawyer: We asked Mr Dean for
documents... Yesterday we learned there may be more.
Plaintiffs' lawyer: They admit there were
$8 million from the fraudster - but how is he
co-mingling?
Judge: It doesn't matter if he bought a
boat Judge: Can we go into the back room? Just because of
some of the things you've sent it. Go through that door
[They disappear.]
Update: After 35 minutes behind closed
doors - in this public corruption case - the lawyers came
out of the robing room and left. Judge still not out. No
summary. No statement of the basis for taking the case
behind closed doors.
This makes Inner City Press cover
the case more closely. On April 24 it emerged that in the
wrongfully-closed session the judge questioning the
timeliness of new claims and "proposed new defendant
Monique Blake," Swizz Beatz' manager.
Full filing on Patreon here.
On April 27 Judge Buchwald set a schedule:
"Plaintiffs may submit a letter by Friday, May 1, 2026.
Defendants may submit a responsive letter, if any, by
Friday, May 8, 2026. So ordered. (Signed by Judge Naomi
Reice Buchwald on 4/27/2026)."
On May 15, docketing of the Second Amended Complaint,
table on fraudulent transactions from September 21, 2012
to September 4, 2014 - this as Jho Low is reported seeking
a pardon. But can you get a pardon if you fled and were
never convicted?
On June 29, Judge Buchwald amended the
schedule: "All fact discovery shall be completed by August
31, 2026."
At 4:45 pm on August 25, filing of
voluntary dismissal with prejudice - but without details:
"STIPULATION OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL It is hereby
stipulated and agreed by and between the parties and/or
their respective counsel(s) that the above-captioned
action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice against
the defendant(s) Kasseem Dean, Monza Studios, Inc., Swizz
Beatz Productions Inc. pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(ii) of
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. "
More analysis of secrecy on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here.
The case is Barkhouse v. Dean, et al.,
1:24-cv-7491 (Buchwald)
