KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — The High Court today ordered that the over RM31 million in damages awarded to Pastor Raymond Koh be placed in a trust with Amanah Raya Berhad.
Lawyer Datuk Jerald Gomez, representing Koh’s wife Susanna Liew Sow Yoke, said Judge Su Tiang Joo issued the order following an agreement with senior federal counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid, representing the government and Royal Malaysia Police.
“Amanah Raya Berhad is appointed to hold the money and any interest as trustee for the first plaintiff (Koh) until his whereabouts can be identified or revealed,” he told reporters after the proceedings.
The choice of trustee, Jerald explained, was based on its low management fees and a guarantee to return the money if the ruling is appealed.
The move complies with Judge Su’s Nov 5 order to deposit the funds into a trustee account until Koh’s whereabouts are confirmed or disclosed.
The sum comprises general damages of RM10,000 per day from Feb 13, 2017, until Koh’s whereabouts are disclosed, RM1 million in damages, and RM1 million in exemplary damages.
In an application on November 28, Liew had requested that her law firm, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates, be appointed as the trustee.
She also proposed PB Trustee Services Berhad and Amanah Raya Berhad as alternative options should the court not appoint the law firm.
Liew had filed the suit against the police and the government concerning her husband’s disappearance and the authorities’ handling of the investigation.
Koh was reported to have been abducted by a group of masked men while driving in Kelana Jaya, near here, on February 13, 2017. — Bernama
