The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has fixed Oct 26 for any third party to stake their claim on assets, including handbags and vehicles, in a 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and 17 others.
DPP Muhammad Shukri Hussain said that judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan today allowed the prosecution’s application to gazette a new date for the third party notice.
Shukri said the court previously set Aug 30 last year for any third parties to come to court, however, nobody turned up to stake a claim on the assets sought to be forfeited in the suit.
He then explained that since the court last week had allowed the prosecution’s application to amend a few typographical errors in the cause papers, then the procedure of the third party notice needed to be done again.
“Yesterday, we (prosecution) filed the amended Notice of Motion (on the forfeiture suit) and have served (copies of the amended cause papers on the 18 respondents).
“Based on that amended Notice of Motion, we applied for a new third party notice to be gazetted,” he said, adding that the court today allowed the application.
Speaking to the media after proceedings today, Shukri added that lawyers for Najib and the other respondents raised no objection to the application.
When met after proceedings today, Najib’s counsel Nur Syahirah Hanapiah confirmed the new date.
She explained that the new third party notice date was because the forfeiture suit’s cause papers had been amended, thus the third party notice procedure needed to be carried out again.
On Aug 7, it was reported that the prosecution sought to amend a few typographical errors in the forfeiture suit.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) filed the 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit against Najib and 17 other respondents, comprising individuals and companies, on May 9 last year.
The legal action was over hundreds of items, including branded handbags and 27 vehicles, seized from the 18 respondents.
Najib was named as the first respondent, followed by his wife Rosmah Mansor, his stepson Riza Aziz, his son Nor Ashman Razak and his daughter Nooryana Najwa, as the second, third, fourth, and fifth respondents.
The other respondents are Mohd Kyizzad Mesran, Senijauhar Sdn Bhd, Aiman Ruslan, Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia, Yayasan Semesta, Yayasan Mustika Kasih, Rembulan Kembara Sdn Bhd, Goh Gaik Ewe (the mother of fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho), former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, lawyer Lim Hwee Bin, Kee Kok Thiam, Tan Vern Tact and Geh Choh Hun.
Kee, Tan and Geh are alleged associates of Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, who is a key figure in the 1MDB matter.
Among the valuables seized on May 17, 2018, and on June 11, 2018, were 52 branded handbags, 10 watches and cash in different denominations – RM187,750 in old notes, RM21,150 in new notes, £320,500 in old notes, £2,700 in new notes, US$100, €20, S$40, 2,870,000 Sri Lanka rupees, 13,177,00 rupiah, 376 hryvnias (Ukrainian currency), 50 francs, 10 rands, 531 riyals, and 740 Philippine pesos.
Also seized on the same day were four branded watches, 171 branded handbags, and 27 pairs of shoes, while 40 luxury handbags were confiscated on June 11, 2018.
Also, 27 Nissan Urvan vehicles were seized on Aug 2, 2018.
In addition, money amounting to more than RM18 million in accounts with Bank Islam, Al-Rajhi Bank, Maybank, CIMB Bank, RHB Bank, Public Bank, AmBank and Hong Leong Bank have been frozen between Aug 16, 2018, and March 11, 2019.
Also seized was a property in Tanjong Bungah, Penang, belonging to the 13th respondent, Jho Low's mother, on Jan 17 last year. - Mkini
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