1mdb Linked Forfeiture Appeal Hearing Postponed Over Emergency

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Due to an emergency, the Court of Appeal today adjourned hearing of appeals linked to 1MDB-linked forfeiture suits involving Umno and eight others.
It is understood that the adjournment was due to an urgent personal matter involving one of the judges of the three-person bench.
The case was set for hearing of the prosecution’s appeal to forfeit over RM197 million in alleged 1MDB-linked funds from Umno and seven others.
The seven others are Kedah Umno, Wanita MCA, and companies Hattatex Trading, K & Z Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Habib Jewels Sdn Bhd, Binsabi Sdn Bhd, and Perano Sdn Bhd.
The court also fixed for hearing of Umno Pahang’s appeal to quash a High Court order allowing the government to forfeit RM2.48 million in alleged 1MDB-linked funds.
Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who chaired the bench in the proceedings, told parties that the matter needed to be adjourned due to an emergency.
The panel, also comprising judges Hadhariah Syed Ismail and Abu Bakar Jais, had already partially heard some of the appeals earlier this morning.
“Due to an emergency, we have to postpone the case to another date, because of unforeseen circumstances,” Abdul Karim said. The court then set May 27 to resume hearing of the appeals.
When met by the media after proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi confirmed that the proceedings were adjourned due to an emergency.
Earlier, the bench had heard submissions from not only Saifuddin but also from lawyers Syed Azimal Amir Syed Abu Bakar, Khoo Guan Huat and Thevini Nayagam.
Azimal and Khoo acted for Umno Pahang and Habib Jewels respectively. Thevini represented K & Z Enterprise and Perano.
On Feb 7 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court threw out the government’s suit against Umno to forfeit RM192 million of funds allegedly from troubled sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
On that date, the High Court had also dismissed the prosecution’s suit to forfeit RM300,000, RM337,634.78, and RM827,250 of alleged 1MDB-linked funds from Wanita MCA, Perano and Binsabi.
On Jan 3, last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the prosecution’s application to forfeit RM138,359.60 from K & Z Enterprise.
On Dec 13, 2019, the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected the government’s 1MDB-linked RM100,000 forfeiture suit against Habib Jewels.
On that same date, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the prosecution’s bid to forfeit RM1.05 million from the Kedah Umno liaison committee, allegedly linked to the 1MDB scandal.
The prosecution is also appealing against a Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissal of its suit to forfeit RM111,590 in alleged 1MDB-linked funds from Hattatex Trading.
However on Jan 9 last year, the prosecution succeeded in obtaining an order from the Kuala Lumpur High Court to forfeit RM2,479,300.18 of alleged 1MDB-linked funds from Pahang Umno. - Mkini

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