KUALA LUMPUR – The government, through the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), has filed a suit against lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, seeking payment amounting to RM9.41 million in tax arrears for five assessment years.
The writ of summons and statement of claim were filed last May 6 at the high court with Shafee, 69, named as the defendant.
Based on the statement of claim, obtained through the court’s e-filing system, the government claimed that additional assessments amounting to RM621,291.85, RM978,854.11, RM3,581,500, RM1,735,124.03 and RM1,826,557,87 were made for the assessment year 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, respectively, through a notice dated May 27, 2019, which was sent to the defendant.
It claims that, until now, the defendant has still failed to pay the amount.
As such, the plaintiff is claiming the defendant pay RM9,414,708.32, interest of 5% per annum from the date of judgment until the date of realisation, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
Meanwhile, lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, representing Shafee, who is also his father, said they have yet to receive the writ of the summon from IRB.
A IRB source confirmed not having served the writ of the summon to Shafee yet, but said it would be served soon.
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 Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Shafee also faces two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities from Najib and two charges of making false declarations to the IRB. – Bernama, May 17, 2021