KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): The High Court here today set Feb 28 next year to hear Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)'s application to forfeit RM700,000 in a bank account under the name of Pekan Umno division for being allegedly linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali fixed the date following an application by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Rashid Sulaiman after no third party appeared in the court today to stake a claim on the money, despite the MACC having gazetted the notice for the forfeiture, dated Oct 31, 2019.

Mohd Nazlan also ordered both parties to file in their written submissions before or on Feb 17.

Lawyer Amalin Mohd Zahid represented Pekan Umno.

The forfeiture application was made under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

In June this year, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya announced that the commission had filed forfeiture suits against 41 organisations and individuals, seeking to recoup RM270 million allegedly siphoned from 1MDB funds.

Latheefa said the move was carried out in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, where the MACC believed that the monies were transferred to the 41 respondents from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s bank account.