Nov 22 hearing for Najib’s application against Ezam’s lawsuit

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has set Nov 22 to hear the application by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and 13 former members of the board of directors of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and two others to strike out Datuk Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor’s lawsuit against them.

The suit filed by Mohamad Ezam, who is Parti Bebas Rasuah (Corruption Free Party) president, pertained to losses incurred by 1MDB totalling US$ 3.657 billion.

The prime minister’s lawyer Yazid Mustaqim Roslan told reporters when met, that the court also fixed the same date to hear his client’s application to postpone the lawsuit hearing pending the outcome of his application to dismiss it.

He said Justice Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad fixed the date after case management in chambers yesterday.

Yazid said the court also ordered the parties concerned to file their respective submissions before the hearing date.

Najib as first defendant in Mohamad Ezam’s lawsuit filed the application to dismiss it on July 12, on the grounds that the plaintiff had no locus standi to bring the civil action.

Other defendants who applied to strike out the suit were Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, Datuk Kamal Mohd Ali, Datuk Norazman Ayob, Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, Tan Sri Ong Gim Huat and Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, as second to seventh defendant.

The eighth to 13th defendant were Ashvin Jethanand Valiram, K Arul Kanda, Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman @ Mohamed, Datuk Mohd Bakke Salleh, Tan Sri Azlan Mohd Zainol and Datuk Tengku Rahimah Puteri Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah.

1MDB and the Malaysian Government as 15th and 16th defendant respectively, also applied to dismiss Mohamad Ezam’s bid, which was filed on April 14.

In his statement of claim, Mohamad Ezam contended that the US$ 6.5 billion loan which 1MDB secured with the help of Goldman Sachs International Ltd should have been channelled to the national sovereign wealth fund’s account.

Instead, the plaintiff claimed, the defendants had negligently allowed US$ 3.657 billion of the amount to go to unauthorised parties.

He wants the defendants to bear the losses and reimburse the US$ 3.657 billion to 1MDB with interest, cost and other relief deemed fit by the court. — Bernama