Najib: IRB weaponised to damage my reputation, political career

Najib: IRB weaponised to damage my reputation, political career

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak claimed that the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has been weaponised to damage his reputation and political career.

He cited this in his affidavit in support of an application to strike out a bankruptcy notice linked to an RM1.69 billion tax suit against him.

The bankruptcy proceedings against Najib is currently pending at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

According to the affidavit made available to the media this afternoon, Najib claimed that the bankruptcy notice was an abuse of court process, premature and statute-barred.

“I verily believe that the issuance of the bankruptcy notice is an ‘abuse of process’ wherein the chronology of events above show that the bankruptcy notice is being used for a collateral purpose (ie of damaging my reputation and political career).

“I am of the firm belief that the judgment creditor’s wrongful tax computation is intentional in order for my political opponents to manipulate public perception to imply and/or to indicate that I am a person who evades tax (which is strongly denied),” he contended.

Najib claimed that he does not owe any tax liability to the judgment creditor, as all the tax returns have been allegedly timely and accurately submitted, and the tax due has been paid accordingly.

He also alleged that the IRB's tax assessment against him of RM1,465,690,844 (excluding the penalties) was baseless, unsubstantiated and in complete disregard of basic accounting and taxation standards.

“It is regrettable that the IRB has been weaponised as a political instrument to use and abuse the provisions of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the purposes of obtaining a judgment against me under Section 106, and to ultimately bring about the filing of the bankruptcy notice without a court of law hearing the merits and defence of my case.

“Furthermore, the timing of the service of this bankruptcy notice is highly questionable at the very least, in light of recent political developments in the country,” Najib claimed.

The former premier was served the notice on April 5. His lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah described it as being politically driven.

Previously on July 22 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed the IRB’s application for summary judgment in its RM1.69 billion tax suit against Najib.

In effect, this meant that the High Court has allowed the IRB’s tax suit against Najib, without undergoing a full trial where witnesses need to testify.

The former premier has an appeal pending at the Court of Appeal against the summary judgment ruling.