KUALA LUMPUR - The Paris Court of Appeal has fully annulled the purported ‘Final Award’ issued by arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa on Feb 28, 2022, and has ordered the so-called Sulu claimants to pay Malaysia €200,000 in costs.
The court ruled that Stampa had no jurisdiction to issue the ‘Final Award’, determining that no valid arbitration agreement existed that could bind Malaysia.
“With this decision, the court annulled the entire purported ‘Final Award’. Malaysia trusts that this victory will put an end to all baseless attempts by the so-called Sulu claimants (and their litigation funder, Therium) to extort money and assets from the people of Malaysia,” the statement said.
The government reiterated that it will continue to firmly contest any further legal action brought by the claimants.
The Paris Court of Appeal had previously rejected recognition and enforcement of the purported ‘Partial Award’ on June 6, 2023, a decision later upheld by the French Supreme Court on Nov 6, 2024.
The statement reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to defending the nation’s sovereignty, immunity and national interests against these unfounded claims.
The dispute began when eight Filipino individuals claiming lineage from the former Sulu Sultanate initiated arbitration proceedings in Spain, seeking billions in compensation from Malaysia over Sabah.
In March 2019, Stampa was appointed arbitrator by a Madrid court, but he later proceeded with the case even after his appointment had been annulled. On Feb 28, 2022, he issued a ‘Final Award’ of USD14.9 billion in favour of the claimants following an unlawful arbitration process.