MF Global's total amount of U.S. segregated funds of former customers is now estimated at $5.9 billion, said Kent Jarrell, spokesman for trustee James Giddens, who is overseeing the MF Global's bankruptcy liquidation.  This includes $4.1 billion that is being paid out to customers and the additional $1 billion that the trustee has under his control, Jarrell said. As of last Thursday, the trustee had returned $1.7 billion of the total $2.1 billion of the third tranche of funds, which will bring the total payout to $4.1 billion. No less than $1.2 billion of customer segregated funds are still estimated to be missing and that could include money sitting abroad. Earlier this month, the attorney who leads the legal team for Giddens estimated during testimony before the U.S. House Agricultural Committee that total customer accounts were "between $5.5 billion and $6 billion", up from the original CME Group estimate of $5.45 billion. On Friday, Giddens issued a notice that said he is disputing MF Global's U.K. administrator holding onto $600 million to $700 million in U.S. customer funds who were trading foreign futures. Those funds are separate from the $5.9 billion U.S. customer segregated funds total and from the estimated $1.2 billion shortfall.  [Reuters 12/23/11]