KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday was told that the Yayasan Penyelidikan Transformasi (FORT) has agreed to forfeit RM407,011.46, allegedly received from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MBD), to the Malaysian government.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Farah Yasmin Salleh of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), however, informed the court that no counsel or representative of the foundation was present at the proceedings yesterday.
“Today is set to hear prosecution’s application to the gazette the notice for the forfeiture and notice for third parties which was published on Sept 10.
“On July 9, the foundation representative has submitted a letter to the High Court Judge, agreeing to forfeit the assets,” she said before Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff.
However, Judge Rozana asked for a representative from the foundation to be present at court before the funds could be forfeited to the government.
The court then set Nov 26 for hearing on the prosecution’s application to forfeit the funds.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, lawyer Syahrul Syazwan Salehin, representing Johor Umno’s liaison committee, told the media that the High Court has set Dec 6 to hear the amendment for MACC’s civil forfeiture suit against the committee.
The court, he said, also ordered both sides to submit their written submission by Dec 2.
He said this after a case management, along with MACC Deputy Public Prosecutor Nik Haslinie Hashim, held in the chambers of High Court deputy registrar Farah Azura Mohd Saad.
The MACC is seeking to forfeit RM677,872.55, which were allegedly acquired using funds siphoned from 1MDB.
In June, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya announced that it had filed forfeiture suits against 41 organisations and individuals, seeking to recoup RM270 million allegedly siphoned from 1MDB funds.
Latheefa said the move was carried out in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, where the MACC believed that the monies were transferred to the 41 respondents from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bank account. — Bernama