KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya has filed two more suits to claim millions from former 1Malaysia Development Bhd officers with ties to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.
Court documents showed that a suit was filed against Loo Ai Swan, also known as Jasmine Loo, claiming nearly RM2.5 million in tax arrears.
The 48-year-old, who was 1MDB’s general counsel, or in-house lawyer, is being sued by the government, through the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), for taxes owed for the assessment years 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The Malay Mail reported that Putrajaya, in its statement of claim, said IRB issued separate notices, all dated October 19, 2020, to Loo, to claim RM1,495,366.08 and RM571,979.72 in additional assessed taxes for 2012 and 2014, respectively, and RM75,292.96 in income tax assessed for 2016, and RM76,510.72 and RM50,062.40 for 2017 and 2018, respectively.
The notices were sent on November 18 last year to Loo’s last known address in Damansara Heights here, but there has been no response.
She was further charged a 10% penalty for failure to pay the taxes claimed for the five years within 30 days of the delivery of the IRB notices, resulting in a total RM2,496.133.05 being claimed.
The claim also comes with a 5% interest per annum from the date of the court’s decision until the day the sum is paid.
A similar suit was filed against former 1MDB executive director (business development) Tang Keng Chee, better known as Casey Tang, for owed income taxes amounting to RM6,779,852.36.
Notices by the government dated September 30, 2020 sent via registered post on October 6 to Tang’s last known address in Taman Sri Endah here were for taxes owed for nine assessment years: RM260,560.26 (2009), RM473,004.48 (2010), RM1,600,810.12 (2011), RM257,694.20 (2012), RM1,074,455.28 (2013), RM1,428,296.28 (2014), RM701,285 (2015), RM310,502.16 (2016) and RM57,866.40 (2017).
Cumulatively, the duo owe the government RM9.3 million in taxes.
According to the Kuala Lumpur civil courts’ registry, Tang’s case is scheduled for management today, while Loo’s is scheduled for February 18.
Both were reportedly placed on Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) watch list in July 2015, following the 1MDB scandal.
However, they failed to turn up following an alert issued by the central bank to aid in the 1MDB investigations in July 2018.
Then prime minister and finance minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in a 2017 written parliamentary reply, said the duo had been removed from BNM’s watch list as investigations into them were completed.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in June 2018 released a poster featuring four individuals, including Loo and Tang, wanted to assist in the probe into 1MDB. The two others were Tan Kim Loong and Geh Choh Heng, otherwise known as Eric Tan and former 1MDB deputy chief financial officer Terence Geh, respectively, reportedly close associates of Low.
On January 15, IRB filed a suit to claim from Tan nearly RM68 million in unpaid taxes from 2010 to 2013.
Loo, Tang, Tan and Geh all had criminal charges filed against them, as well as Low in December 2018, in their absence in Malaysia over their roles in defrauding and collectively causing the government losses amounting to US$1.17 billion (RM4.2 billion).
Police in December 2018 secured warrants to arrest all five, who are said to have been living abroad for several years, and said they would seek Interpol’s aid to apprehend the suspects. – The Vibes, February 9, 2021
