Najib (right) during his court appearance. Bernama Photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and three entities would apply to be a third party and stake a claim on assets and cash seized in connection with 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, 68, and their two children Nooryana and Norashman, Global Royalty Trading SAL and UMNO are seeking to recover assets and cash that were seized from Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Among the items that were seized on May 17, 2018 and Jan 31, 2019 were 11,990 units of gold jewellery, 401 watches and 16 units of watch accessories, 234 units of sunglasses and 306 handbags as well as cash amounting to RM114,164,393.44 in various denominations.
A property in Kuala Lumpur was also seized on Nov 1, 2018.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Aaron Chelliah from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission told the High Court that a number of third parties had come forward to state their interest in assets and cash seized from Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd.
“We published a third party notice on Aug 23 and a number of claimants had come to court,” he said at the case mention before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah appeared for Najib while Rosmah, Nooryana and Norashman were represented by counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork.
UMNO was represented by counsel Nurfazreen Hazrina Rahim while Global Royalty Trading SAL, by Datuk David Gurupatham.
The court set Oct 31 for hearing of the third party application.
The prosecution filed a forfeiture notice on the assets and cash seized from Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd and named the company as respondent, which was represented by Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hisyam Teh Poh Teik.
Global Royalty filed a lawsuit against Rosmah on June 26 last year seeking the return of 44 pieces of gold jewellery which had been sent to her for selection, or payment of the whole amount totalling US$14.79 million or almost RM60 million. – Bernama