KUALA LUMPUR: Fashion designer Datuk Jovian Mandagie has been declared bankrupt by the High Court here over his failure to settle a RM5mil friendly loan to a company.
Senior assistant registrar Muhammad Faisal Zulkifli issued the order against the former son-in-law of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob during a hearing of the creditor’s petition yesterday.
The creditors filed their petition on Nov 20, 2024.
According to documents obtained by the media, Cekap Air Sdn Bhd applied for the bankruptcy notice to be issued against Jovian, 39, after he failed to pay RM5,284,340.66, inclusive of interests, to the construction company.
The company’s lawyer, Siti Nur Athirazatti Rohizad, said Jovian did not adhere to a summary judgment issued by Judge Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin in the High Court on April 2 last year.
The summary judgment had ordered Jovian to pay the loan.
The direct judgment was obtained when the court decided the case through written submissions without a full trial.
“Jovian did file several applications to stay and strike out the bankruptcy notice and petition that was filed against him but they were dismissed by the court,” Siti Nur Athirazatti told the media.
In its statement of claim, the company said it had given out a loan of RM5mil to Jovian on Feb 25, 2022.
It stated that the loan was given out casually as the company’s director, Yong Zhen Wei, and Jovian were acquaintances.
The loan was meant to be repaid in 12 months.
“Furthermore, there was no reason for the plaintiff (Cekap Air) to doubt the defendant (Jovian) as the latter had several other businesses and was the (then) son-in-law of former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob,” it said.
However, the plaintiff claimed that Jovian had failed, refused or neglected to make repayments.
The plaintiff contended that at all material times, Jovian was unjustly enriched when he received the loan without making repayments, causing huge losses to the defendant.
Jovian filed his statement of defence on June 20, 2023.
The fashion designer was represented by lawyer Nur Irdina Syahirah Mohammad Wardi during the proceedings yesterday.
His appeal on the summary judgment will be heard at the Court of Appeal on Sept 15.
Jovian was married to Ismail Sabri’s daughter, Nina Sabrina, on Dec 11, 2013.
They divorced in 2023.
