KUALA LUMPUR: Fashion designer Datuk Jovian Mandagie has failed to reverse his bankruptcy status for defaulting on a RM5mil friendly loan from a construction company.
High Court judge Justice Jamhirah Ali dismissed Jovian’s appeal to set aside the bankruptcy order declared by a High Court senior assistant registrar in July last year.
After hearing submissions from parties in chambers, the judge also dismissed Jovian’s request to stay the decision and ordered him to pay RM10,000 in costs to his creditor, Cekap Air Sdn Bhd.
The company’s lawyer Siti Nur Athirazatti Rohizah confirmed the court’s decision yesterday.
The bankcruptcy proceedings stem from Jovian’s failure to comply with a April 2, 2024, High Court summary judgment.
He was ordered to pay Cekap Air RM5,284,340.66 in outstanding loan repayments and interest.
In its statement of claim supporting the suit, the company said it had given a loan of RM5mil to Jovian on Feb 25, 2022.
It stated that the loan was given out casually and 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.
According to the court papers, Cekap Air applied for a bankruptcy notice to be issued against Jovian after he failed to pay the judgment sum.
The company then proceeded to file its creditor’s petition on Nov 20, 2024, and finally obtained the said bankruptcy order last year.
