The Kuala Lumpur High Court has found that Lokman Noor Adam committed contempt of court during Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s Yayasan Akalbudi corruption trial.
However, trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah accepted the former Umno supreme council member’s unreserved apology this afternoon.
The judge then issued a final warning for Lokman not to repeat the contemptuous act.
Today was set for the hearing of the contempt application, after the previous Aug 3 date was vacated due to the deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah contracting Covid-19.
On June 30, Lokman was issued a show-cause notice by Sequerah for allegedly verbally abusing a court police officer and questioning the country’s legal system at Zahid’s trial.
Sequerah made the guilty finding per Order 52 Rule 2A of the Rules of Court 2012.
However, the judge also gave Lokman the opportunity to purge the contempt via an unreserved apology, per the same provision.
During open-court proceedings, while on the witness stand, the politician made the apology.
“I apologise as I do not understand the law. I unconditionally apologise to the court and all parties from the bottom of my heart (sesuci hati).
“I promise to ensure this incident will not happen again when I enter public places and the courts. I will abide by the rules of the court,” Lokman said.
His counsel K Balaguru then pleaded for the court’s leniency.
On the DPP’s part, Izalina left it to the court’s discretion on whether to accept or reject the apology.
“In light of the unreserved apology, this court finds the contemnor has purged his contempt,” Sequerah ruled. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.