CLAIMANTS to any of the 1MDB-linked assets worth RM680 million seized by authorities after Barisan Nasional fell from power in May last year have until August 30 to file their legal challenge for ownership, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled today.

Putrajaya has mounted its largest ever civil forfeiture suit against 18 parties for assets seized from them in the aftermath of the last general election, as former prime minister Najib Razak’s grip on power finally crumbled.

The government and police filed a forfeiture suit on May 8 against Najib and 17 others to seize hundreds of items, including 27 Nissan vehicles, RM18 million from accounts belonging to 10 people, and a bungalow belonging to the family of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.

Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali made his ruling today after another court approved an application by prosecutors for a three-month gazette notice, which called on parties to contest ownership by August 30.

At a hearing presided over by Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Zaini Mazlan, prosecutors filed the gazette notice under Section 56 and 61(2) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

The government wants to acquire assets that were seized between May last year and March this year, on grounds that those assets were acquired through money stolen from the sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Nazlan set August 30 for case management for the forfeiture suit.

Of the 18 respondents, three – Kee Kok Thiam, Tan Vern Tact and Geh Choh Hun, formerly directors of Javace Sdn Bhd, UBG Bhd, and Majestic Masterpiece Sdn Bhd respectively – did not send legal representatives to court.

The firms were controlled by Low, commonly known as Jho Low, who is believed to be hiding in China. – May 30, 2019.