KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has allowed for the prosecution to publish a notice for third parties with interests in assets worth more than RM216mil, allegedly from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), to challenge the forfeiture order.
Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Tuesday (June 25) made the order to gazette after allowing an application by Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamal Bahrin Omar, who sought two months from today to gazette the notice in the forfeiture claim against seven entities and individuals.
The gazette must be executed by Aug 25.
The notice in the gazette is to invite third parties to appear in person or represented by counsel to contest the forfeiture action before a hearing.
This is for the third parties to show cause why said properties should not be forfeited to the government.
The court also fixed July 29 for case management.
Earlier, DPP Kamal Baharin informed the court that one of the respondents Abdul Manan Ismail died on Feb 12, last year.
“The prosecution would need two weeks to file an application to change the deceased’s name (in the suit) to a trustee,” he said.
On this issue, the court fixed July 4 for case management for the prosecution to change the name.
In the proceeding today, seven entities and individuals were named in the suit.
The seven are Umno, MCA Wanita, Umno Sabah Liaison Committee, the late Paya Besar MP Abdul Manan Ismail, former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Hasan Malek, and companies Binsabi Sdn Bhd and Perano Sdn Bhd.
They are the first batch out of 41 respondents named in a forfeiture suit by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
On June 19, the MACC filed a civil forfeiture suit against 41 entities comprising individuals, companies and political parties.
Due to the large numbers of entities involved, the suit has been broken down into several smaller applications by the High Court.
A suit involving the second batch of respondents is expected to be heard at the High Court on July 2.
The forfeiture claim aims to recover RM270mil, the biggest forfeiture by the anti-graft body so far.
The 41 named in the suit were individuals, political parties, trust funds and business entities that received monies from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal AmBank account.
Umno was the biggest recipient, with RM212mil going into the accounts of several state liaison committees, divisions and leaders.
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