KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 31): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife are seeking to strike out the RM676 million suit filed by carpet businessman J.R Deepak Jaikishan against them for tort of conspiracy and interference in a property deal that allegedly caused his company to suffer huge losses.

Lawyer David Mathews, representing Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, said the application to strike out the suit would be filed at the high Court before this Jan 7.

He told reporters this after proceeding of the case, which was held in chambers before High Court judge Datuk Azimah Omar.

Mathews said his clients filed their defence against Deepak’s suit today and the judge set Jan 14 for case management.

Meanwhile, Deepak’s lawyer, Irzan Iswat Mohd Nor, told reporters that two other defendants named in the suit — Boustead Holdings Bhd and its subsidiary, Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd — had filed their applications to strike out the suit.

The two companies were represented by lawyer Kenny Chan.

On Oct 12 this year, Deepak, 46, filed the suit claiming that he had suffered losses due to conspiracy, fraud and undue influence by the defendants.

He claimed that as a director and majority shareholder of Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, he had signed a land deal with the director and majority shareholder of Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah, over three pieces of land, involving 181.9 hectares in Mukim Kapar, Klang and Mukim Bukit Raja, in the Petaling district.

Deepak claimed that a deposit payment of RM13 million had been made by Astacanggih to Awan Megah and a land bond for RM72.5 million from Kuwait Finance House (M) Bhd was submitted to the Malaysian government.

However, he claimed Awan Megah refused to produce the original land titles for transfer to Astacanggih.

Deepak claimed that as a result of the conspiracy and interference from Najib and Rosmah, who were named the first and second defendant, he was forced to sell 80% (16 million units) of his shares in Astacanggih to Boustead Holdings through Wira Development.

He is seeking for RM600 million in general damages, RM50 million in exemplary damages and RM26 million in aggravated damages.