KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) will not appeal against the High Court's decision to dismiss its application to forfeit RM80 million in luxury items owned by Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun confirmed this when contacted today.
"Yes, AGC is not appealing against the decision as we agree with his Lordship's decision," he said.
On Nov 14, High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin ruled that there was no proof that the items seized by the police during a raid on an apartment in the Pavilion Residences here four years ago was linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
The raid on the apartment owned by OBYU Holdings on May 17, 2018, came soon after the 14th General Election, which saw a Najib-led Barisan Nasional losing federal power.
The luxury items, including 2,435 pieces jewellery, seven Richard Mille watches and 29 handbags, were alleged to be proceeds from illegal activities related to 1MDB funds.
In his judgement, Jamil said the prosecution failed to establish the element of predicate offence (illegal activity).
On May 20 last year, the same court also struck out the government's application to forfeit RM114 million in cash seized from Najib and Rosmah during the same raid.
The prosecution had contended that Najib had allegedly received a total of US$971 million (RM2.973 billion), said to be 1MDB's money, from 2011 to 2013, and that the money seized from the condominium was part of the illicit funds.
Besides the money, the raid also yielded 12,000 pieces of jewellery, valuable watches and expensive handbags.