KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 ― An Umno leader claiming to represent the party has filed a suit against the party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a bid to claim a portion of the RM2.6 billion funds said to have been donated for the 2013 election campaign, a source close to the case confirmed today.
Malay Mail Online understands the plaintiff filed the lawsuit at the High Court registry here this morning and is expected to hold a news conference after Friday prayers this afternoon.
The lawsuit names Najib as well as Umno executive secretary Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusof as the defendants, according to the filing sighted by several court reporters.
The main demand by the plaintiff ― whom the source asked not to be named for the time being ― is for a sum of US$650million from the US$681million (RM2.6 billion) donation the prime minister received, purportedly from the Middle East, to the benefit of Umno.
The statement of claim filed with the High Court and sighted by Malay Mail Online named the plaintiff suing “for the benefit and in behalf of Umno” as Anina Saaduddin, the party’s Langkawi Wanita representative.
Anina is also seeking an injunction order to prohibit Umno from “removing, suspending and/or taking any disciplinary action” against her pending the disposal of the lawsuit.
Anina gained prominence following widespread circulation of a 2.52-minute video clip earlier this month in which she harshly criticised the Umno president as “urinating” on Umno’s three million members in a public storm over RM2.6 billion deposits into his personal account, which the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has said was a donation from a Middle Eastern nation.
According to the statement of claim, Anina is claiming that Najib had violated the Umno constitution, the Societies Act 1966 and his common law duties as a trustee when handling the RM2.6 billion donation.
In her statement of claim, Anina noted that on August 30, 2013, US$650 million, a large portion of the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was transferred out of an AmPrivate Banking account in Malaysia, registered under Najib's name, into a Singapore account that “did not belong to Umno.”
The plaintiff is seeking the repayment of US$650 million, an account of “all monies received by Najib Razak in the form of donations” as well as an account of all the funds contained in the prime minister's account.
In the latest revelation on the RM2.6 billion saga, Umno division leader Datuk Rizuan Abdul Hamid said last weekend that the funds found in Najib’s private accounts were donated by an “Arab king and prince”, and that it was meant to be a political donation to be used during Election 2013.
Following several articles published in US paper Wall Street Journal and London-based whistleblower website Sarawak Report, speculation arose the source of the RM2.6 billion deposits, with some believing they were from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a brainchild of the prime minister’s that is currently under probe for alleged financial irregularities.
