THE Attorney-General (AG) has informed the High Court of his intention to oppose an effort by former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, his family members and companies linked to them to overturn the seizure of their bank accounts by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, representing the AG, stated that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) requires additional time to prepare and file its submissions in the case.
Justice Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has directed both parties to file their submissions by July 12. The court has also scheduled the hearing for the family’s application for leave to commence judicial review on Aug 8.
The applicants are being represented by lawyer Nizamuddin Abdul Hamid.
On June 6, Daim, his family, and 18 associated companies filed the application, naming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a co-respondent. They alleged that Anwar used his influence over the MACC to further a personal agenda against Daim.
The family claimed that this influence led the MACC to issue freezing orders on June 7 last year under Section 44(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, affecting all of their accounts.
Besides Anwar and the MACC, the application names four other respondents including MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki and the federal government.
The applicants asserted that the freezing orders expired in September last year, yet they have not been charged with any money laundering offences. They also claimed they were not informed of the specific money laundering offences being investigated by the MACC to justify the seizure.
Furthermore, Daim’s family argued that the seizure of their personal and company accounts was conducted in bad faith and is seeking a court order to quash the seizure.
Main photo credit: The Edge Malaysia
