PUTRAJAYA (July 3): Umno's lawyer will write to CIMB Bank Bhd to seek the release of RM192 million held for more than two years in the bank under a government-led forfeiture exercise as the money is alleged to be from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Umno's lawyer Datuk Hariharan Tara Singh said he will write to CIMB Bank following the decision today by a three-member Court of Appeal bench, led by Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, to dismiss the prosecution's appeal for a stay of the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision to reject the forfeiture application.
Today, Yaacob said: "We dismiss the [stay] application as the appellant has not shown special circumstances for us to grant a stay."
Besides Yaacob, the other members on the bench were Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail and High Court Judge Datuk Nordin Hassan.
During the court proceedings, the bench said it noted the prosecution's concern that if the stay was not granted today, and if the prosecution's appeal was allowed, it would lead to a futile forfeiture exercise.
Although Hariharan had asked for consequential orders for CIMB to release the funds, the bench said it is not issuing such a directive for CIMB to do so.
As such, Hariharan told reporters after the court proceedings that he will write to CIMB and its lawyer to seek the release of RM192 million.
Besides Umno, the bench today also dismissed the prosecution's appeal for a stay of a similar High Court decision against Wanita MCA, Binsabi Sdn Bhd and Perano Sdn Bhd.
The government-led forfeiture exercise had also involved alleged 1MDB money from Wanita MCA, Binsabi and Perano amounting to RM300,000, RM827,250 and RM337,634.78 respectively.
Last Tuesday, news reports quoted the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as saying the Attorney-General's Chambers' prosecution team would file an appeal against the High Court's decision to dismiss the stay application by the prosecution to hold the return of the alleged 1MDB-linked money to Umno, Wanita MCA, Binsabi and Perano.
"The appeal period given is two weeks from the date of the court's decision," the MACC said in a statement on that day.
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