Umno files suit to claim back RM116.7 million seized in raids
FMT Reporters
-September 24, 2018 9:17 PM
Police transferring items, including luxury handbags and cash, into a truck after they were seized in May from a condominium unit linked to Najib Razak.PETALING JAYA: Umno has filed a suit to seek the return of RM116.7 million that was seized by police in raids on properties linked to its former president Najib Razak.
Lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh said the suit was filed last Friday and the writ and statement of claim had been served on five defendants named as parties to the action.
According to Umno Online, one of the defendants is Senior Assistant Commissioner Mohd Sakri Arifin, the officer who led the operation to seize the money.
Umno executive secretary Rauf Yusoh is named as plaintiff.
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Case management has been fixed on Oct 15 before High Court deputy registrar Rumaizah Baharom.
Hariharan said the defendants have 14 days from the date the writ was served to enter appearance.
On June 27, Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Amar Singh said RM116.7 million in cash was found in the 35 bags taken from premises linked to former prime minister Najib.
Amar, who had been leading the police investigation into 1MDB, said the amount of money and the value of watches and jewellery seized in the police raids were worth about RM1 billion.
He said the money, which was in 26 currencies, took three days to count. Amar said 22 officers from Bank Negara Malaysia had counted the money using six cash machines.
Another 25 bags contained 12,000 items of jewellery, including rings and diamond earrings estimated to cost RM440 million in materials alone.
Amar said these included 1,400 chains, 2,200 rings, 2,800 pairs of earrings and 14 tiaras. The most valuable piece of jewellery was a white diamond necklace estimated to cost RM6.4 million.
There were also 567 handbags and they included luxury brands such as Hermes, Chanel and Bijan.
A total of 423 watches worth RM78 million were also seized and they included brands like Rolex, Chopard and Richard Mille.
