KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 18): Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s four children have yet to be served with a statement of claim naming them as defendants in their father’s case over alleged non-payment of nearly RM329,000 in travel bills incurred by him and his family.
The suit by YHA Travel and Tours (M) Sdn Bhd was filed at the Sessions Court here on Nov 2 last year, through Messrs Fong Yap & Gan, on the grounds that Azmin owes the travel agency for the travel bills, including for his much-publicised Sandakan trip during the by-election there last year.
YHA as the plaintiff in the case had been allowed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to name Farah Shazliyana, 29; Farah Afifah, 24; Farah Amira, 26; and Mohamed Ameer Shazrin, 28, as second, third, fourth and fifth defendants respectively in the statement of claim.
However, a lawyer representing YHA, Adam Yap, told deputy registrar Nadia Mohd Kamal that they were unable to serve the amended statement of claim to Azmin's children.
The registrar then fixed March 6 for case management before Sessions Court judge Nur Lailatul Zuraida.
According to YHA’s statement of claim that was sighted by theedgemarkets.com through a file search, Azmin had been a customer of the travel agency for 20 years.
The company claimed the PKR deputy president would normally settle his bills within three to four months but in this instance, the payments have been outstanding for far longer.
It was referring to trips made between Sept 10, 2018 and Aug 5 last year.
They include family trips to Marrakech, London, Jakarta, Gold Coast, Dubai, Geneva, Singapore, Bangkok, Barcelona, and Santorini, YHA said.
The company also provided the itinerary of Azmin’s trips to Hanoi and Kota Kinabalu between Sept 14 and Sept 16, 2018, and to Sandakan on May 10 and May 11 last year, which was during the Sandakan by-election.
The amended writ stated that plaintiff YHA seeks payment of RM328,901 from first defendant Azmin.
The cause paper stated that in the alternative, YHA seeks an order for Azmin to pay RM167,332, Farah Syazliyana to pay RM8,510, Farah Afifah to pay RM3,880, Farah Amira to pay RM6,400, and Mohamed Ameer Shazrin to pay RM92,280, as well as interest from all five defendants.
The company claimed it had sent a letter of demand to Azmin on Aug 27 and another on Sept 30, but received no response.
“Notwithstanding the repeated demands, the defendant had failed and neglected and refused to pay the amount stipulated,” YHA said.
The company is seeking a judgment sum of RM328,901, plus interest and other relief deemed necessary by the court.