Umno S Discovery Bid Over Rm116 7m Seizure Fixed On Dec 4

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The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has fixed Dec 4 to hear Umno's application for discovery over the purported police seizure of RM116.7 million of the party's fund from its former president Najib Abdul Razak
The date was fixed by the court's deputy registrar Rumaizah Baharom following a case management today
The hearing will be held before Justice Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad
The court also fixed for mention the police and government's application to strike out the suit on the same day. Senior federal counsel Mohammad Sallehuddin Md Ali told reporters that they filed the striking-out application on Monday. Lawyer Hariharan Singh appeared for Umno
It is learnt that besides questioning Umno's legal standing, the police and government are also claiming, as grounds for striking out the application, that the matter was still being investigated and they are protected under the Police Act 1967
Umno filed the suit against the police and government in September to recover the RM116.7 million seized by the police during its raid on properties linked to Najib
Its then organising secretary Abdul Rauf Yusof had named the government, inspector-general of police Fuzi Mohd Harun, Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Amar Singh, the police officer who led the operation to seize the money, Mohd Sakri Arifin, and a certain individual named Rajagopal Ramadhas, as defendants
Rauf is seeking a declaration that the raid and seizure on May 17, at one of the premises, were wrong
The party has sought the return of the RM116.7 million and a further RM43.3 million for general, aggravated and exemplary damages
In his 52-page statement of claim filed by lawyer Tania Scivetti, Rauf claimed that Najib had kept the money for election purposes
He said that the president is the trustee for Umno's election funds which party members have no access to
These funds, he added, are handed over by the president to his successor.The discovery application, meanwhile, was filed by Rauf on Oct 3, with a supporting affidavit by newly appointed party organising secretary, Mohd Sumaili Reduan
Umno is seeking to have Amar produce a police report pursuant to the raid, pictures of the money seized, a list of the seized item including the money, and also a rough diagram of the apartment where the money was discovered. - Mkini

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