The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today fixed Feb 11 next year to hear the police and government's striking out application of a suit filed by then Umno organising secretary Abdul Rauf Yusoh (above) to recover purported party funds amounting to RM116.7 million seized by the police last May.

Justice Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamed reportedly declined to hear Umno's discovery application and wanted to hear the striking out application first.

As a result, lawyer Hariharan Singh Tara Singh for Umno told reporters the judge fixed Feb 11 for hearing.

Today was initially fixed for the hearing of Umno's application for discovery. The discovery application was filed by Rauf on Oct 3 with a supporting affidavit by newly-appointed party organising secretary Mohd Sumaili Reduan.

It was previously reported that the police and the government applied to strike out the suit based on Umno's legal standing to initiate the suit in the first place against the police and government.

They are also claiming that the matter is still being investigated and they are protected under the Police Act 1967.

The party sought Bukit Aman's Commercial Crime director Amar Singh to produce the police report made pursuant to the raid, pictures of the money seized, a list of the seized items including the money and also a rough diagram of the apartment where the money was discovered.

Umno had filed the suit against the police and government in September to recover the RM116.7 million in cash seized by cops during its raid on three properties linked to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Rauf named the government, inspector-general of police Fuzi Mohd Harun, Amar, the police officer who led the raid Mohd Sakri Arifin and the investigating officer named Rajagopal Ramadhas as defendants.

Rauf is seeking a declaration that the raid and seizure on May 17 at one of the premises were wrong.

The party has sought the return of the RM116.7 million and a further RM43.3 million in general, aggravated and exemplary damages.

In his 52-page statement of claim filed by lawyer Tania Scivetti, Rauf claimed that Najib, who was former Umno president, had kept the money for election purposes.

He said the party president was the trustee for Umno's election funds which party members have no access to.

The funds, he added, were handed over by the then president to his successor, Zahid Ahmad Hamidi.