Umno and its former president Najib Abdul Razak have received the RM114 million that the prosecution failed to forfeit in a 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit.
This was confirmed by the former prime minister’s counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah when contacted by Malaysiakini this afternoon.
“It is true. The money has been released and received,” the lawyer said.
It is understood that the money was released to Umno and Najib on June 17.
Previously, on May 20, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur dismissed the government’s forfeiture suit targeting RM114 million allegedly linked to 1MDB, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove that the money may have been laundered from the state fund.
The RM114 million was part of the RM680 million in cash, jewellery and other assets seized from condo units in Pavilion Residences, Kuala Lumpur, owned by Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd, in 2018.
Obyu is the sole respondent in the government’s main 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit. However, Umno and Najib are third-party claimants seeking the return of the RM114 million.
On May 20, High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin did not make a consequential order in his oral ruling on whether the RM114 million should be returned to where it was initially seized.
The main suit, which still targets the rest of the seized assets, is still pending before the High Court.
Following the court ruling then, Najib was reported to have said that it has vindicated him of baseless and unproven accusations involving the 1MDB funds.
Besides Umno and Najib, other third-party claimants are Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor and Lebanese jeweller Global Royalty Trading SAL.
However, the third-party claims by Rosmah and the jeweller have yet to be heard by the court. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.