Azmin, his children settle suit with travel firm

 

Senior minister Azmin Ali and his four children have settled with a travel agency a lawsuit linked to allegedly unpaid flight tickets and hotel stays.

Lawyer Adam Yap, who acted for travel firm YHA Travel & Tours (M) Sdn Bhd, today confirmed that the settlement was recorded before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this afternoon.

“The plaintiff (YHA) withdrew the case (suit) with no order as to costs, and no liberty to file afresh.

“The defendant (International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin) withdrew their counterclaim and had no liberty to file afresh. The defendant is to pay RM1,000 to the plaintiff as costs for the counterclaim.

“Parties agreed to have the terms of settlement to be confidential,” Yap said when contacted today.

The lawyer confirmed that the travel agency has also agreed to withdraw the suit against Azmin’s children with no order to costs and no liberty to file afresh.

On May 24, online business news portal The Edge Markets reported the deferment of the lawsuit, due to “positive developments”.

On Nov 5, 2019, it was reported that YHA had sued former PKR deputy president Azmin for the recovery of RM328,901 in allegedly unpaid flight tickets and hotel stays.

YHA claimed the amount owed was for travels between September 2018 and August 2019. According to a breakdown of the claim, the firm had allegedly booked flight tickets and hotel stays for Azmin, his family, friends and ministry staff.

Azmin was then economic affairs minister under the then Pakatan Harapan administration in 2019. He later became international trade and industry minister under the Perikatan Nasional government in early 2020.

The firm claimed, in the past, it had to advance payments to airlines to secure the tickets and would be paid by Azmin or his representative every three to four months, among others.

On Dec 14 2019, it was reported that Azmin had filed a counterclaim against YHA, alleging that the suit had an ulterior motive linked to purported sex videos allegedly involving him and former Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz.

On Dec 30 2019, it was reported that YHA had filed an application to include Azmin’s four children as defendants in the legal action.

On Jan 23 last year, the Sessions Court allowed YHA’s bid to include Azmin’s four children as additional defendants in the suit, namely Farah Shazliyana, Farah Afifah, Farah Amira, and Mohamed Ameer Shazrin.

In September last year, YHA withdrew its suit against three of Azmin’s children. However, later that same month, YHA refiled the travel bill suit against Farah Afifah, Farah Amira and Ameer.

In effect, this meant that YHA then ended up with two separate travel bill suits - one against Azmin and Farah Syazliyana, and another involving Farah Afifah, Farah Amira, and Mohamed Ameer.

Today’s court outcome has settled all of the above suits. - Mkini