PUTRAJAYA, March 26 — Three individuals and a company linked to former Johor executive council member Datuk Abdul Latif Bandi have failed in their bid to review the seizure of RM3.2 million in assets.
A three-member Court of Appeal panel, chaired by Justice Hashim Hamzah, ruled that public policy requires finality in judgments and that reviews are only permitted in exceptional cases, such as breaches of natural justice or miscarriages of justice, according to a report published in Free Malaysia Today.
The court found that the applicants were challenging the merits of a previous Court of Appeal decision, rather than raising a valid ground for review.
The bench also included Justices Wong Kian Kheong and Noorin Badaruddin.
The appeal stemmed from a ruling on July 17, 2024, when a separate Court of Appeal panel dismissed appeals from six individuals, including Latif, his son Ahmad Fauzan Hatim, real estate consultant Amir Shariffuddin Abd Raub, Mazita Mahmod, Hartini Jalani, and JLA Motorsports Sdn Bhd.
During today’s proceedings, lawyer Abdul Rahim Ali informed the court that Latif wished to withdraw from the case, while his son did not participate as an applicant.
The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Zander Lim, and Asraf Tahir.
The case dates back to May 2019, when the Sessions Court dismissed the prosecution’s forfeiture application, ordering the return of the seized assets.
However, the High Court overturned this ruling in December 2021, concluding that the properties were linked to illegal proceeds.
The seized assets included 20 luxury vehicles, such as a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, Bentley Continental GT Coupe, Land Rover Sport, Nissan Skyline, Toyota Vellfire, Honda HRV, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as well as branded watches, handbags, jewellery, and foreign currency in multiple denominations.
In a separate case, Latif, his son Fauzan, and Amir Shariffuddin were acquitted of corruption and money laundering charges by the Johor Baru Sessions Court in 2022, a decision upheld by the High Court in 2023.
While the prosecution dropped its appeal against Latif’s acquittal, proceedings against Fauzan and Amir Shariffuddin are ongoing.
