Those named in the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) 1MDB-related forfeiture suit will have to file their challenge against the department's claims to their assets by early September.

Despite earlier reports stating that the deadline for those named to appear in court is on Aug 22, the DOJ said that there was no hearing on that day.

"There was no hearing on Monday and nothing is scheduled by the court now.

"As a matter of process, claims must be filed by people seeking to challenge the forfeiture case. The deadline is in early September," a DOJ spokesperson told Malaysiakini in an email yesterday.

The spokesperson said they will inform the exact date of the deadline later.

Among the four named in the DOJ complaint are Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stepson Riza Aziz and controversial billionaire businessman Jho Low.

The other two are Abu Dhabi government officials, Khadem Abdulla Al-Qubaisi and Mohammed Ahmed Badawy Al-Husseiny.

The DOJ has filed civil suits to seize assets in the United States that it claims were purchased using funds siphoned from 1MDB.

It plans to return the proceeds from the sales of these assets to Malaysia.

Also mentioned in the DOJ's court documents, for a total of 36 times, is Malaysian Official 1, who is alleged to have received US$731 million in 1MDB funds.

The prime minister has repeatedly denied abusing public funds for personal gain, and attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali has cleared him of any wrongdoing, in an earlier investigation over US$681 million found in Najib's personal bank account.