Judge Zaini Mazlan issued the order sought by deputy public prosecutor Akram Akrab Gharib after lawyers for the individuals and companies did not raise any objection.

The individuals are businessmen Goh Leong Yeong, Zaidi Kanapiah and Zaidi’s wife, Alyaa Syuhaila Mohamad Shariff, and the companies are Malaysian House of Internet Sdn Bhd, Networld Computer (KL) Sdn Bhd, and Nine Nine International Sdn Bhd.

The court set Dec 23 as the next mention date, pending the publication of the third parties’ gazette.

The government is seeking to forfeit RM60,232.01 kept in three bank accounts belonging to Goh, as well RM353,723.81 kept in Alyaa’s three Amanah Saham Bumiputera accounts and two bank accounts.

It alleges that the money in their accounts came from proceeds of online gambling activities and unlicensed cryptocurrency trading.

The government also wants to forfeit a total of RM27,310.69 kept in the accounts of Malaysian House of Internet Sdn Bhd and Networld Computer (KL) Sdn Bhd belonging to Goh, and another RM75,846.82 from from Nine Nine International Sdn Bhd, belonging to Zaidi.

The money was frozen by the authorities between September and October 2020.

Zaidi, who is also known as Addy Kana, Goh and two police officers were arrested under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) last year on allegations that they were part of an online gambling syndicate.

Zaidi and the two officers were released by the Federal Court earlier this year, after it ruled that their detention was done in bad faith.

However, Goh, who goes by the name of Alvin Goh, has remained in the Simpang Renggam detention centre, after the Federal Court affirmed his Poca detention. He is seeking a review of the court’s decision.

He and his brother, Yeong Hui, were also charged this year with seven counts of money laundering amounting to RM2.14 million. They are accused of receiving the proceeds from unlawful activities by two Chinese nationals – Wang Hangang and Feng Chuang – between Sept 9 and Nov 11, 2019.