DiCaprio surrenders Brando Oscar in Malaysian corruption scandal

Leonardo DiCaprio has been identified as the 'Hollywood Actor 1' who in court filings was said to have received artworks and an Oscar from participants in the 1MDB conspiracy.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has turned over an Oscar won by Marlon Brando to US investigators probing alleged money laundering by a Malaysia's troubled wealth fund.

The Hollywood star had also initiated the return of other items he said he accepted as gifts for a charity auction and which originated from people connected to the 1MDB fund, his representatives said on Thursday.

The comments followed revelations in a complaint by the US Justice Department, which wants to recover $US540 million in assets it says were stolen from the fund.

The filing in US District Court in Los Angeles was the department's latest step in its long-running case over the alleged conspiracy to launder money misappropriated from the fund, which has implicated close associates of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The US government has previously alleged Red Granite Pictures - whose chairman, Riza Aziz, is Razak's stepson - used stolen funds to finance 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.

The US government has previously alleged Red Granite Pictures, used stolen funds to finance 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. Source: AAP

The new complaints allege stolen money was also used to finance the 2014 Jim Carrey comedy 'Dumb and Dumber T'o and 2015 comedy 'Daddy's Home' starring Will Ferrell.

Taken together, the total amount allegedly taken from 1MDB is now $US4.5 billion.

Red Granite said in a statement it was in discussions with the Justice Department "aimed at resolving these civil cases and is fully co-operating".

In earlier court filings, DiCaprio was referred to as "Hollywood Actor 1," but the new complaint identifies him by name, and says he received three artworks - by Picasso, Basquiat and Diane Arbus - from participants in the conspiracy.

"Mr DiCaprio initiated return of these items, which were received and accepted by him for the purpose of being included in an annual charity auction to benefit his eponymous foundation," Thursday's statement said.

The spokesman said DiCaprio also returned an Oscar won by actor Marlon Brando, which was given to him by Red Granite "to thank him for his work on 'The Wolf of Wall Street'".

DiCaprio's spokesman said the star accepted the gifts to raise money in an auction for his environmental foundation.

It has also been alleged that stolen money was used to finance the 2014 Jim Carrey comedy 'Dumb and Dumber To'. Source: AAP