Spanish supreme court upholds Stampa’s contempt conviction in Sulu case

16 October 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: 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 by a five-judge panel 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 22 Dec 2023.

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,” it said.

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.

Courts in Spain, France and the Netherlands have all affirmed Malaysia's legal position in the Sulu case.

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 Madrid court appointed Stampa as the arbitrator for the case. In February 2022, Stampa issued a Final Award holding that Malaysia owed the Sulu heirs US$14.9 billion.

However, this award stemmed from an invalid arbitration process, as Stampa's judicial appointment as arbitrator had already been annulled by the Spanish court prior to his decision.

The Madrid High Court of Justice revoked his appointment in 2021.

In November last year, the French Court of Cassation dismissed an appeal by the Sulu heirs, finding in favour of Malaysia.

That judgment confirmed that the Final Award, which required Malaysia to pay US$14.9 billion, is not recognised under French law, effectively nullifying the basis of the claim.