Court allows temporary return of Vida's passport

IPOH: The Sessions Court here today allowed the temporary return of the passport belonging to cosmetic millionaire Datuk Seri Dr Hasmiza Othman (pix), or better known as Datuk Seri Vida, to enable her to travel abroad, including to perform the umrah.
In allowing the request by the owner and founder of Vida Beauty Sdn Bhd, judge Murtazadi Amran ordered the woman to return the passport to the court again by Feb 6.
Hasmiza's lawyer, Khairilazwar Khalil told the court that his client would leave for Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan 3 and would be in Guangzhou, China, from Jan 16 to 22 and then to perform the umrah from Jan 26 to Feb 3.
Khairilazwar made the request when Hasmiza's case, involving 16 charges for failing to pay Goods and Services Tax (GST) amounting to RM4.2 million, came up for mention.
The prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, had earlier objected to the request as they did not receive the affidavit on the matter and expressed concern that Hasmiza would try to flee the country.
Vida jumped with joy after getting her passport from the court, saying that she was going overseas for business trips.
Meanwhile, the court set March 9 and 10 next year to hear Hasmiza's remaining 16 charges for failing to pay Goods and Services Tax (GST) amounting to RM4.2 million, to which she had pleaded not guilty.
She was charged with committing the offence at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, GST Division, Wisma Kastam, No 1 Jalan Tun Razak here between April 2015 and July 2016.
The charges are framed under Section 41(7) of the GST Act 2014, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or three years imprisonment, or both, on conviction.
Last Dec 15, the cosmetics millionaire was fined RM80,000 by the Sessions Court here after changing her plea to guilty to 16 counts of failing to submit her goods and services tax (GST) returns for the period between April 2015 and July 2016.
Besides Khairilazwar, Hasmiza was also represented by lawyer Syed Ahmad Syed Abas, while the prosecution was represented by Raja Rozela and Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan. — Bernama