KUALA LUMPUR (May 20): A court in Sabah has struck out a man’s claim for RM24.92 million damages against FGV Holdings Bhd (KL:FGV) for alleged fraudulent transactions and trespass relating to land in the state held under a native title.
FGV said its wholly-owned units Sri Kehuma Sdn Bhd and Yapidmas Plantation Sdn Bhd had succeeded in striking out Euggne Kousai’s claim with costs of RM2,000.
“The Kota Kinabalu High Court held that there was no illegality in relation to the lease agreements, that the plaintiff’s claim is barred by res judicata [that a cause may not be relitigated once it has been judged on the merits] and/or cause of action estoppel or issue estoppel and that the plaintiff’s claim is time-barred,” said FGV in a bourse filing on Monday.
Estoppel is a legal principle that bars a person from contradicting an action or statement made in the past.
The suit revolved around 41 parcels of land, which Kousai claimed to be the registered owner of under a native title, and accused the two FGV units of conducting fraudulent transactions relating to the land and trespassing on the land.
Kousai filed the suit in April last year.
Shares in FGV ended unchanged at RM1.37, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM5 billion.