IRB applies for Muhammad Shafee tax case to be decided via summary judgment

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has applied for its suit against Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, seeking payment amounting to RM9.41 million in tax arrears for five assessment years, to be decided through summary judgment.

A summary judgment is where a court decides a case without hearing testimony of witnesses.

The application was filed by the IRB on behalf of the government as the plaintiff yesterday, on the grounds that the defendant (Muhammad Shafee) had failed to pay the income tax arrears amounting to RM9,414,708.32 within the stipulated time.

High Court deputy registrar Syeela Marlina Uttaman, during case management of the tax case via e-Review today, fixed October 13 for another case management.

The writ of summons and the statement of claim were filed on May 6 at the High Court, with Muhammad Shafee, 69, named as the defendant.

Based on the statement of claim which was obtained through the court’s e-filing system, the government claimed that an additional assessment amounting to RM621,291.85, RM978,854.11, RM3,581,500, RM1,735,124.03 and  RM1,826,557,87 was made for the  Assessment Year of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, respectively, through a notice, dated May 27, 2019, which was sent to the defendant.

It claimed that until now the defendant still failed to pay the amount.

As such, the plaintiff is claiming the defendant to pay RM9,414,708.32, interest of five per cent per annum from the date of judgment until the date of realisation, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Muhammad Shafee is the lawyer representing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the case involving misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.

Muhammad Shafee is facing two charges with receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities from Najib and two charges with making false declarations to the IRB. — Bernama