The order was issued today by the court deputy registrar against Zaidi Kanapiah, better known as Addy Kana, after he failed to respond to the Inland Revenue Board’s (LHDN) lawsuit.

The taxman said Zaidi had failed to file his tax returns for 2018 and 2019 and he owed unpaid tax amounting to RM418,028 and RM1 million, respectively.

Besides the sum, an additional 5% interest per year was also imposed against him.

However, the court order did not state the timeline for Zaidi to settle the RM1.42 million tax arrears.

LHDN said notices of assessment for the two years were mailed to his last known addresses on March 7, and the notices were not returned to the department, indicating that they had been delivered.

Zaidi and two police officers were arrested under Poca last year over allegations that they were part of an online gambling syndicate.

Besides the three, another businessman, Goh Leong Yeong, known as Alvin Goh, was also arrested under the same act.

The Federal Court released Zaidi and the police officers earlier this year after ruling that their detention was done in bad faith. Goh remains in the Simpang Renggam detention centre after the Federal Court affirmed his detention.

Besides the tax recovery lawsuit, the government is also seeking to forfeit funds kept in the accounts of Zaidi’s company, Nine Nine International Sdn Bhd, and that of his wife, Alyaa Syuhaila Mohamad Shariff.

The accounts were frozen by the authorities last year as the funds allegedly came from illegal online gambling activities and cryptocurrency trading.