Ex-premier Najib Razak's son withdraws appeal against summary judgement over tax arrears

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Mohamad Nizar, the son of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has withdrawn his appeal against a High Court's decision in allowing the Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) application for a summary judgment to be entered against him over non-payment of tax arrears.

His lawyer, Wee Yeong Kang, when contacted, said a notice of discontinuance of the appeal was filed last Tuesday (Sept 7).

"We have filed the notice of discontinuance on Sept 7 and informed the court today. We have withdrawn our appeal," he said when contacted after the case management which was held before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mariam Hasanah Othman and attended by Wee and senior revenue counsel Muhammad Nabil Abdul Halim.

Mohamad Nizar had recorded a consent order with the Special Commissioners of Income Tax (SCIT) on Aug 26 in the RM13.1 million income tax suit filed by IRB against him.

The consent order recorded was in relation to the additional tax assessment for assessment year 2011 to 2017, inclusive of 10 percent and five percent penalties amouting to RM13,159,821.94.

It was reported that the amount Mohamad Nizar agreed to pay under the consent order was "significantly less" than the amount claimed by IRB.

On Aug 7, last year, the Shah Alam High Court allowed IRB's application for a summary judgment against Mohamad Nizar and ordered him to pay RM13.16 million in unpaid taxes for the assessment years from 2011 to 2017.

He subsequently filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal against this decision on Aug 11.

A summary judgment is where a court decides a case through arguments without hearing the testimony of witnesses in a trial.

-- BERNAMA