Court allows MACC to forfeit over RM6 mil in assets from former Johor exco

JOHOR BARU – The high court here today allowed an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to forfeit assets worth more than RM6 million belonging to former Johor executive council member Datuk Abdul Latif Bandi, and his son and daughter-in-law.

The assets included 19 luxury vehicles, including a Mercedes Benz G63 AMG, Bentley Continental GT Coupe, Land Rover Proversport, Porsche Cayenne, Nissan Skyline, Toyota Vellfire, and Honda HRV.

Others are 16 branded watches, 15 branded handbags, 15 pieces of jewellery, and cash in Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Korean, and Japanese currencies.

Judge Datuk Abu Bakar of Qatar made the decision after allowing MACC’s appeal against a sessions court’s decision on May 27, 2019, which dismissed its forfeiture application and ordered the seized property to be returned to the owners.

“The sessions court judge had erred in his judgment when he failed to consider the application under Section 41 (1) of the MACC Act, focusing on the seized properties and not the need for prosecution against the respondents,” he said.

He said the court was also of the view that the properties in the appeal were not related to the criminal charges made against Latif, Amir Shariffuddin Abd Rauf, and Latif’s son, Mohd Fauzan Hatim.

“The court is of the view that the appellant has proved that all the property involved was obtained from illegal proceeds, namely bribery. The court is also satisfied that there was no purchase in good faith with valuable consideration related to all the property involved.

"Therefore, the court allowed the appellant’s appeal against all the respondents and allowed the appellant’s applications to forfeit the rights of all the property involved,” he added.

On November 6 this year, the high court here ordered Latif; Ahmad Fauzan Hatim, 29; and  Amir, 48, who is a real estate consultant, to enter their defence on 37 counts of corruption and money-laundering charges involving RM35.7 million, four years ago.

Abu Bakar made the decision after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case, and set aside the Johor Baru sessions court’s decision on April 21, 2019 which acquitted and released the three accused.

Deputy public prosecutor from MACC Mahadi Abdul Jumaat prosecuted, while lawyer Abd Rahim Ali represented Latif, and his son, and daughter-in-law, Nur Shaliza Mohd Salleh. – Bernama, December 19, 2021