PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set July 1 next year to hear former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin’s appeal against a High Court decision ordering her to pay RM10mil for breaching the party bond.
When contacted, Lawyer Navpreet Singh, representing PKR, told Bernama the date was fixed during the case management before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mariam Hasanah Othman last Monday (Oct 2).
He said parties in the appeal were also ordered to submit written submissions before the date.
On June 23 this year, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ordered Zuraida to pay RM10 million to PKR after allowing the party’s lawsuit.
Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir allowed the PKR’s suit after finding that the bond was valid and a binding contract. He also ordered the former Ampang Member of Parliament to pay RM50,000 in legal costs.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail filed the suit on Sept 28, 2020.
In the statement of claim, PKR claimed that Zuraida had signed a bond on April 25, 2018, binding her to pay RM10 million to the party as stated in the bond’s terms and conditions.
PKR claimed that Zuraida had agreed to pay the party no later than seven days after winning the election on the PKR ticket and then resigning from the party, joining any other political party or becoming an independent representative.
Zuraida, in her defence, claimed that she was forced to sign the bond with the party to become its candidate in the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018.
In his decision, Justice Akhtar said Zuraida’s contention that she signed the bond under duress or coercion was baseless.- Bernama
