KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty British investors have filed a cvil suit against former Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi and his IT company, Doxport Technologies Sdn Bhd, and two others, for allegedly misappropriating US$4mil (RM12.8mil) in 2009.

They filed the suit in the High Court here last Wednesday against Abdul Azim, who is the chairman of the company, T. Sivalingam, who is a director and CEO, accounts department staff Gurmeet Kaur and Doxport.

The statement of claim was made available to the press on Wednesday.

The investors want the defendants to pay back the amount which was paid to Sivalingam; general aggravated and exemplary damages; statutory interest, costs and other relief deems fit by the court.

The statement of claim said that the investors' representative, British citizen Sheraz Aslam, was offered an investment in telecommunication switches in the late 2007 or in early 2008.

The investors through their company Fiscal City Capital Sdn Bhd, the plaintiff in this suit, said Doxport Technologies, through Sivalingam, had prepared several documents, including a license to operate an internet service from the Cambodian government to Anco Brothers Co Ltd.

They claimed that through several representations and e-mails sent by Doxport Technologies, the firm had informed the investors that the telecommunication switches were installed and operated in cities which included Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Saigon, Hong Kong, Singapore and Manila.

The investors alleged that in a bid to reassure the plaintiffs on the operation, Sivalingam had furnished a falsified "Master Payment Schedule" addressed to Singtel in Singapore and also Doxport invoices.

Counsel for the investors Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin said that the case management has been set on March 21.

Azim, who is the Bukit Bintang Umno division chief, was Bank Simpanan Nasional chairman from 1999 to 2009, and the vice-president of World Savings Bank Institute from 2006 to 2009.

The investors have also set up a website outlining their grouses.

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