Sulu Case: Spanish Supreme Court Dismisses Stampa's Cassation Appeal, Upholds Conviction

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- The Spanish Supreme Court has dismissed the cassation appeal filed by arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa in the Sulu claimants' case against Malaysia, thereby upholding his conviction for contempt of court.

In a statement today, the Sulu Special Secretariat War Room said that in the unanimous decision delivered on Oct 8, the court affirmed the six-month prison sentence and one-year prohibition from acting as an arbitrator imposed by the Madrid Criminal Court on Dec 22, 2023. 

This ruling is final and marks the conclusion of all criminal proceedings relating to the Sulu case in Spain.

According to the statement, the decision was received by the Government of Malaysia today.

“This final judgment reaffirms that adherence to lawful orders remains the cornerstone of both justice and the integrity of dispute resolution,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said Malaysia welcomes the landmark ruling from Spain’s highest court as a definitive affirmation of the rule of law. 

“It demonstrates beyond doubt that the purported Sulu arbitration was the product of the unlawful and criminal conduct of a rogue arbitrator and vindicates the Government of Malaysia’s consistent position that the so-called award obtained by the Sulu claimants is null and void,” she said in the statement.

In the meantime, the courts of Spain, France, and the Netherlands have now all confirmed Malaysia’s position concerning the Sulu case.

Following the decision, the government extended its appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Cabinet, the Minister in the Prime Minister Department (Law and Institutional Reform), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General, the Director General of the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department for their unwavering support, coordination and commitment in defending Malaysia’s sovereignty and national interests throughout this complex international legal battle.

It also thanked the Sulu Special Secretariat War Room and all relevant agencies, including the National Security Council, as well as Malaysia’s international legal counsel.

“The Government of Malaysia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to defend Malaysia’s sovereignty, immunity and national interests against the baseless claims made in the Sulu fraud,” the statement read.

Previously, eight citizens of the Philippines, who claimed to be heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate, filed for arbitration proceedings in Spain seeking billions of dollars from Malaysia over Sabah. In March 2019, a court in Madrid appointed Stampa as the arbitrator for their claims.

Malaysia had secured a decisive victory in the long-running dispute, as a result of favourable rulings by a Luxembourg court, the Hague Court of Appeal in the Netherlands, the Paris Court of Appeal in France, as well as the Spanish courts.

-- BERNAMA