RM67.9m tax suit filed against alleged Jho Low associate

 

Alleged Low Taek Jho associate, Tan Kim Loong, has been slapped with a government lawsuit seeking RM67.9 million in purported unpaid taxes.

The government filed the writ of summons against 1MDB-linked Tan at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Jan 15.

According to a copy of the cause papers, the government is seeking a total of RM67,996,891.87 in alleged unpaid tax arrears for the assessment years 2010 to 2013.

Tan’s identification card (IC) number stated in the tax suit matches that of the Tan being sought by MACC since 2018 to assist an investigation into the 1MDB case.

The authorities are still trying to track down his whereabouts since then.

The police are also still attempting to locate Low, who is also known as Jho Low, to question him concerning the 1MDB controversy.

Tan’s name cropped up during former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s RM42 million SRC International trial last year.

According to Tan’s statement provided to the MACC on Nov 27, 2015 in Saudi Arabia, he was alleged to be the beneficiary owner of several companies which purportedly sent billions of ringgit to Najib's bank accounts between 2011 and 2015.

Tan through the statement had claimed he did not know to whom he was sending the money to.

Through the tax suit filed last month, the government claimed that tax assessment notices were sent via registered post to Tan’s address at Taman Pusat Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, on Nov 24 last year.

“The notices of assessment were never returned to the plaintiff (government),” the cause papers claimed.

“Until now, the defendant has failed to pay to the plaintiff the tax amount on the defendant’s income still owing and needed to be paid for the assessment years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, inclusive of other increments (kenaikan-kenaikan) imposed on him, for the total of RM67,996,891.87,” the government contended.

The total amount includes penalties for alleged failure to pay the assessed tax for each of the years cited in the legal action.

The plaintiff also seeks five percent annual interest on the tax amount sought calculated from the date of judgment to date of realisation, costs, and any other relief deemed fit by the court.

Checks on the court system showed that Tan has not entered appearance so far in the suit.

According to court filings, today is set for e-review (online) case management of the matter before the Kuala Lumpur High Court Registry. - Mkini