KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 ― The High Court today fixed October 26 for any third parties to show up if they wish to challenge the Malaysian government’s bid to forfeit assets such as luxury handbags, watches and cash said to belong to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and 16 others.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Shukri Hussain today informed the court that the prosecution has filed its amended notice of motion on the assets the government wishes to seize from the 18 respondents.

Muhammad Shukri then applied for the High Court to grant an order for a gazette of the amended notice, in order to give notice for interested third parties to step forward to challenge the forfeiture bid and argue why the seized assets should not be forfeited.

All 18 respondents had no objection to the request.

High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan then allowed the application to gazette the notice to third parties in respect of all 18 respondents’ assets, and fixed the October 26 date.

When met outside the courtroom, Muhammad Shukri explained that the government had previously on August 8, 2019 gazetted a notice to third parties in this forfeiture case, and that there was a proceeding on August 30, 2019 for third parties to come but none had showed up at that time.

Muhammad Shukri said the changes in the notice to the third parties are details such as account numbers and type of accounts.

As for the October 26 case management, Muhammad Shukri said that any third party that shows up will have the right to file affidavits to challenge the government’s forfeiture bid.

If no third party appears however, Muhammad Shukri said the court would proceed with hearing for the government’s application to forfeit the assets of the 18 respondents.

In May 2019, the Malaysian government had filed for forfeiture of assets said to belong to the 18, including Najib, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, his children Nor Ashman Razak and Nooryana Najwa, his stepson Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz and Low Taek Jho’s mother Goh Gaik Ewe.

The others on the list are Ng Chong Hwa or Roger Ng and his wife Lim Hwee Bin, Kee Kok Thiam, Tan Vern Tact, Geh Choh Hun, Mohd Kyizzad Mesran, Aiman Ruslan, Yayasan Semesta, Yayasan Mustika Kasih, Yayasan Rakyat 1 Malaysia, Senijauhar Sdn Bhd and Rembulan Kembara Sdn Bhd.

In this forfeiture action, the seized assets involved include 263 handbags, 14 watches, 27 pairs of shoes, cash in multiple currencies including RM745,900 and £323,200 (RM1.78 million) with no ownership stated in the court documents.

The assets also include a Nissan X-Trail sport utility vehicle, said to belong to Aiman, and 26 Nissan Urvan vans registered to Senijauhar Sdn Bhd.

There is also a total of RM18,339,455.58 or over RM18.3 million seized from 29 bank accounts belonging to 10 of the 18 individuals and entities named (excluding Najib and his family), with such stated owners ranging from Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia, Goh, Ng and Lim.