Egg importer demands RM20m from Azmin over Deepak link

 

Egg importer J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd has sent a legal letter to former Gombak MP Azmin Ali after the latter claimed the businessperson Deepak Jaikishan had obtained the contract to import the eggs via direct negotiation.

In the letter sent through Law Chambers of Han & Zi, the company demanded Azmin (above) pay RM20 million in damages for supposedly harming its reputation, as well as legal costs for the proceedings.

It also demanded Azmin retract and publicly apologise for his claims, and promise never to repeat them.

“If we do not receive a satisfactory reply within seven days of the receipt of this letter, our instructions are to institute legal proceedings against you,” the letter read.in Kuala Lumpur on March 11, particularly a portion of the speech where Azmin claimed Deepak had obtained the contract to import the eggs through direct negotiation.

The government had approved egg imports from India until June to address a severe shortage of chicken eggs in the local market.

Businessperson Deepak Jaikishan

Two days after Azmin made his speech, the sole importer of the eggs - J&E Advance Tech - denied it obtained the contract through direct negotiation and threatened to sue if Azmin does not make a “corrective statement” in 72 hours.

In its letter of demand today, the lawyers said Azmin’s claims in his speech are wholly untrue and maliciously distort facts, giving the impression that the government is corrupted and untrustworthy and its client is unprincipled and deceitful.

Previously, the company had also threatened to use Ayer Hitam MP Wee Ka Siong after Wee took issue with the price and quality of the imported eggs, compared to regular local eggs and those enriched with Omega-3.

However, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul said Wee could not be sued since his statement was made during parliamentary proceedings and is thus protected under Article 63 of the Federal Constitution.

Deepak, meanwhile, had previously denied links to J&E. Checks on J&E’s company information with the Companies Commission of Malaysia found that Deepak was not listed as a shareholder or director in the firm. - Mkini