KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 24 -- Twelve high-value paintings linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, estimated at around US$30 million (RM140 million), will be repatriated to Malaysia and may be exhibited to the public at the National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Negara, BSN) once they arrive in the country.

The artworks, created by world-renowned artists including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Balthus, William H. Bailey, Raoul Dufy, Maurice Utrillo and others, were returned following confirmation from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that they were connected to the 1MDB case, reported Berita Harian today.

Currently, some of the pieces are held under the care of Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses in the Un...