KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been subpoenaed to testify in a RM30 million lawsuit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, where 12 plaintiffs are suing businessman Datuk Vinod Sekhar and his wife, Winny Yeap Liew Heoh.
The order, filed by the plaintiffs’ lawyers Messrs Goh Wong Pereira on January 15, compels Anwar to appear as their witness in the high-stakes case alleging fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of contract.
Lawyer Colin Pereira confirmed the matter when contacted, stating that the order was served on the Prime Minister yesterday.
“The plaintiffs have issued a subpoena for him (Anwar) to testify as their witness.
We delivered the subpoena via email, courier, and by hand to the Prime Minister’s Office, which has acknowledged receipt,” Pereira said.
He added that Anwar is required to appear in court unless he applies to set aside the order.
The trial is scheduled to continue before Judge Adam @ Edward Abdullah on January 22 and 23, with Petra Equities Sdn Bhd chairman Tunku Imran Ibni Tuanku Ja’afar expected to testify.
Pereira said his clients had instructed him in 2024 to call every individual named in the suit, including Anwar, to give evidence.
Vinod and his wife were sued in 2023 for alleged misrepresentation, fraud, and breach of contract.
Of the 12 plaintiffs, ten are investors — Graham David Bell, Arthur J Mirante II, Ronald Barrie Clapham, Charles Robert Henry Stone, Paul Sallis Benney, Paul Nicholas Smith, Octavio Augusto Vallarino Arias, Simon Hafeitz Homsany, Talbortt Gerard Young, and Uri Fruchtmann. The remaining two, Andrew Murray-Watson and April Srivikorn, are former employees of Vinod.
The plaintiffs claim Vinod persuaded them to invest either directly with him or through his companies without disclosing his alleged bankruptcy status at the time.
In their statement of claim, they said they had questioned Vinod about the bankruptcy issue via email on September 30, 2020. Vinod allegedly dismissed the matter and suggested that an individual named “Anwar” would handle it, further implying alignment with Anwar — whom the plaintiffs believed referred to the Prime Minister.
The trial began in October last year, with investor Bell testifying on behalf of the group. He told the court that Vinod portrayed himself as a trustworthy figure due to his connections with influential individuals, including Anwar. – January 22, 2026