FORMER prime minister Najib Razak and Umno have applied for the upcoming hearing on forfeiture of RM114 million and jewellery seized during the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal to be separated into hearings for cash and jewellery.

The items were seized by the MACC when it raided an Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd property during a raid as part of the sovereign wealth fund probe.

However, deputy public prosecutor Faten Hadni Khairuddin objected to separate hearings because the application to forfeit the money and jewellery was made in one notice.

Lawyer Fazreen Hazrina Rahim, representing Najib and Umno, told the court that it would prejudice her clients if the court refused separate hearings because inspection of the jewellery was still not possible at this time.

“This is because the representative for the third party, a Lebanese goldsmiths from Global Royalty Trading SAL, is understood to be in the United Kingdom and travel to Malaysia is restricted due to Covid-19,” she said.

Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin then set November 25 to hear the application, saying that the application was not prejudicial to the prosecution.

“The court will only return the property that was seized from a third party if the court is satisfied with the third parties fulfilling the five items as stated in Section 61 (4) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Illegal Activities Act 2001,” said the judge during case management today.

He also ordered both parties to file in their affidavits-in-reply within 14 days from today.

The application to forfeit the money and jewellery was filed by MACC against Obyu.

Najib, Umno and Global Royalty are third parties in the application.

In the notice of motion filed against Obyu Holdings, the items included 11,991 items of jewellery, 401 watches and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of eyewear and 306 handbags, as well as more than RM114 million in cash, in various denominations.

In June 2019, then MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya said the MACC had filed a civil forfeiture suit against 41 respondents to forfeit about RM270 million the MACC had linked to the 1MDB fund scandal and received by the respondents from Najib.

She said the action was taken under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001. – Bernama, September 14, 2020.