THE High Court in Kuala Lumpur has set November 8 to hear an application by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) for a summary judgement in relation to the agency’s suit to recover RM1.69 billion in income tax arrears from former prime minister Najib Razak.

Presiding judge Ahmad Bache also set the same date to hear an opposing application by Najib for a stay of proceedings.

Both sides are to file their written submissions by November 1.

“The parties involved have filed the affidavits as required by the court,” said IRB lawyer Norhisham Ahmad after a session in chambers today.

Najib was represented by Farhan Shafee and Wee Yeong Kang.

On June 25, the IRB sued Najib for RM1.69 billion in tax arrears for the assessment years 2011 to 2017.

Najib filed the stay application on August 8, pending an appeal to reassess the value of the sum owed.

On July 24, Najib son, Mohd Nazifuddin, was sued by the IRB for not paying RM37.6 million in unpaid income taxes for the same period.

One month later, on August 26, the IRB went after Najib’s daughter, Nooryana Najwa, for RM10.3 million over the same period.

Meanwhile, on July 24, the IRB also filed against former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, demanding that he pay RM57.2 million in unpaid income taxes from 2012 to 2017.

In a Facebook post in July, Najib alleged the sum in question was obtained through donations, which are tax deductible.

“If we observe carefully, it clearly shows that this tax is imposed on what I received from donations and contributions from overseas into my account.

“These include donations from Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance and the Arab prince (sic), which have been confirmed by bank officers in the trial of the SRC case,” he wrote. – September 6, 2019.