Federal Court fines 21, including lawyer, for contempt

In what is believed to be one of the highest fines imposed for contempt, 12 majority and eight minority shareholders of Kian Joo Can Sdn Bhd were fined RM100,000 each by the Federal Court, failing which they face a jail term of eight months.

A lawyer who acted for the minority shareholders was fined RM150,000, or in default 10 months.

They were given until tomorrow by the apex court to pay the fine.

In total, they have to fork out a RM2.15 million.

Federal Court judge Justice Suriyadi Halim Omar, in passing sentence after the 21 apologised to the court, said they had subverted the administration of justice.

“This had resulted in the court being undermined in public confidence, ridiculed, scandalised and had also affected the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,” said Suriyadi, who led the five-member bench.

The apex court also will fixed case manament for senior lawyer VK Lingam who acted for the majority, and three other minority shareholders who were not present in court.

The majority shareholders, in the review application of an apex court decision in an action filed by liquidators, had accused a judge who wrote the unanimous judgment of plagiarism.

[More to follow]

-Mkini