AFTER withdrawing from hearing two lawsuits filed by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) against several parties, Kuala Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain today recused herself from hearing a lawsuit filed by SRC International Sdn Bhd against Umno.

In May last year, SRC International, a 1MDB subsidiary, under its new management filed the suit together with its subsidiaries Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd, to claim RM16 million alleged to have been wrongfully transferred to the political party.

Lawyer Syafinaz Vani, who represented SRC International as the plaintiff, said the case would be transferred to another court and heard by judge Azimah Omar.

“Our side (the plaintiff) does not object to the defendant’s (Umno) application to amend the statement of defence and we will file an amended answer if necessary,” she said.

She was responding to reporters after online case management proceedings before High Court assistant registrar Nuur Fatimahtul Zuhra Khairuddin. Umno’s lawyer Mohamed Baharudeen Mohamed Ariff was also present.

It is understood that Roz previously held the post of deputy director of prosecution and civil enforcement at Securities Commission Malaysia, which was among the agencies involved in the 1MDB investigation.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claimed that Umno knew that the RM16 million belonged to SRC International and that the political party had no basis to receive the funds.

On May 10 last year, the Finance Ministry confirmed that 1MDB and its subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd had filed 22 suits to recover assets worth more than RM96.6 billion, including RM300 million from various local parties.

The ministry said the writs of summons were filed on May 7, 2021, with six by 1MDB and 16 by SRC.

Previously, Roz recused herself from hearing 1MDB’s US$6.59 billion lawsuit against former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and former 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

She then withdrew from hearing the lawsuit filed by 1MDB against Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Bhd; banking firms Coutts & Co Ltd and J.P. Morgan (Switzerland) Ltd; two companies incorporated in Saudi Arabia, namely Petrosaudi International Limited and Petrosaudi Holdings (Cayman) Limited, as well as two individuals, namely Tarek Obaid of Saudi Arabia and British citizen Patrick Mahony. – Bernama, September 29, 2022.