.JPG "Former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation chief Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court October 25, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Miera Zulyana")
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The High Court has fixed July 8 to hear the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)’s application to strike out an originating summons filed by Malaysia External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) former director general Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid.
Hasanah is challenging MACC’s action to freeze her bank account in September last year.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad who is representing MACC told reporters today after case management in chambers before Justice Datuk Mohd Sofian Abd Razak that the application was filed on April 19.
Meanwhile, Hasanah’s lawyer Datuk Shaharudin Ali said the court set the same date (July 8) to hear the originating summons.
He said the court would hear MACC’s application first to decide whether Hasanah’s originating summons was frivolous, an abuse of the court process and had no locus standi,
“This is about people’s salary account, not 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)’s account and not the account of 1MDB’s subsidiary and not a secret account. This is the salary account through which she was paid by the government.
On that basis, he said his client’s summons was justified.
Hasanah, 61, filed the summons on March 28 this year and named MACC and the Malaysian government as first and second respondent. She is seeking a declaration that the freezing order on her bank account dated Sept 3, 2018 was null and void.
She is further seeking a declaration that the order, under Section 37(1) of the MACC Act was contrary to or inconsistent with the Federal Constitution.
In her affidavit in support, Hasanah claimed MACC never informed her of the order while she was being remanded from August 29, 2018 until September 3, 2018.
She said after failing to make a banking transaction on September 4, 2018, she contacted the MACC investigating officer who told her that her account was temporarily frozen, a normal procedure by MACC.
Hasanah said she sent five letters to MACC between October 9 and December 18, 2018 for the freeze to be lifted.
She claimed she had no other source of income and depended fully on her pension which is channelled to her account.
On October 25, 2018, the former director general claimed trial to criminal breach of trust involving US$12.1 million (RM50.4 million). — Bernama
