Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has granted a stay on an ex-parte forfeiture order obtained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) earlier this month in its bid to freeze £132mil (RM758.2mil) worth of assets in London belonging to Toh Puan Na'imah Khalid and her family.
Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid said the order was stayed pending an application by Na'imah, who is seeking to intervene in the MACC's notice of motion.
ALSO READ: Daim’s widow to challenge London asset freeze order
"This application (to be an intervener) should be heard inter parte.
"The application should be filed and served within 14 days. At the same time, the order dated June 3 is stayed," Justice Azhar said on Monday (June 23).
The court fixed July 9 to hear the application to intervene.
On June 3, the same court had granted the MACC an order to freeze the assets in London belonging to Na'imah, who is the wife of the late former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.
The assets include two commercial buildings, five luxury residences and one bank account.
ALSO READ: Dismissal of Na'imah's application a miscarriage of justice, court told
According to the MACC, investigations indicated that the assets were linked to suspected offences under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001.
It said the freeze was part of ongoing efforts to trace and recover assets believed to be connected to unlawful activity.
At a separate High Court, Justice K. Muniandy fixed Aug 1 to hear Na'imah's application to intervene in another ex-parte notice of motion filed by the MACC.
The MACC had sought to obtain an ex-parte court order under Section 53 of the AMLATFPUAA to forfeit more than RM544mil in US dollars and pound sterling.
ALSO READ: Lawyers for Daim's widow to challenge MACC's seizure of Ilham Tower in court
DPP Wan Nur Iman Wan Ahmad Afzal told the court that the monies, which were investments locked in 12 bank accounts in Singapore, belonged to Na'imah, her family and her associates.
"An investigation has been carried out by the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN). Based on preliminary investigation, we believe the assets owned by Na'imah and her associates had never been declared (to the LHDN).
"We say that the assets must be frozen before (they are) disposed of," she said in her oral application.
Meanwhile, Na'imah's lawyer Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar said he was "perplexed and disappointed" over the application as the MACC had never mention any respondent's name in its filing.
"The order isn't just against the property but also against the person. This application cannot proceed as an ex parte. It has to proceed as an inter parte. I seek that this court make no order (on the freeze) until an inter parte application is heard," he said.
Justice Muniandy then ruled that the application to intervene would be heard inter parte and fixed Aug 1 for hearing.
