The Kuala Lumpur High Court has fixed five days in July next year for a full trial of former finance minister Lim Guan Eng’s defamation suit against former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
The trial from July 12 to 19 of the civil action is over an allegation that Lim was involved in the cancellation of the tax-exemption status of Albukhary Foundation.
Lim’s counsel Guok Ngek Seong confirmed with the media about the trial dates, adding that judge Roz Mawar Rozain directed parties to file complete pre-trial documentation by Aug 30 this year.
The lawyer said the matter is set for further case management before Roz Mawar on Oct 4 this year.
On March 27, Lim filed a writ of summons over Muhyiddin’s alleged libellous accusation that the former was responsible for the Albukhary Foundation - headed by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Albukhary - losing its tax-exempt status.
Then in April through his statement of defence, Pagoh MP Muhyiddin contended that Lim has to prove in court that the Finance Ministry did not revoke the tax-exemption status.
The Bersatu president, who was prime minister during the Perikatan Nasional administration from 2020 to 2021, expressed his doubt over the veracity of the Finance Ministry’s statement issued in March, saying neither the ministry nor its officers had revoked the exemption.
The Perikatan Nasional chairperson also claimed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement in Parliament - that there were no records of Lim having revoked the foundation's tax exemption status - was “wholly irrelevant” and a mere deflection so that the DAP chairperson would not be held accountable for Inland Revenue Board's decision on the issue.
In his reply to Muhyiddin’s defence, the finance minister from 2018 to 2020 questioned why Muhyiddin did not raise the issue of the alleged tax-exemption cancellation when they were both part of the then Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet.
Muhyiddin was the home minister during the Harapan administration from 2018 to 2020. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.