Prosecutors wanted the Terengganu High Court to strike out Sarawak Report founder Clare Rewcastle-Brown’s appeal to nullify her conviction and two-year jail sentence for criminal defamation against Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah.
However, the criminal court told the prosecution to address the matter when appeal records are ready, over the case involving Rewcastle-Brown who played a pivotal role in exposing the 1MDB scandal.
The whistleblower’s counsel Guok Ngek Seong said this transpired during today’s High Court case management of her appeal.
“DPP (deputy public prosecutor) asked the court to strike out the appeal on the ground of non-appearance (by Rewcastle-Brown during proceedings), but the court said to address the issue when the records are ready.
“We also told the court that we have filed submissions to address the issue of non-appearance and will address that. The petition of appeal has already been filed,” Guok told the media.
The High Court has fixed July 21 for further case management of Rewcastle-Brown’s appeal, pending the appeal records.
Malaysiakini is attempting to reach out to the prosecution over the matter.
On Feb 7, the Kuala Terengganu Magistrate’s Court found Rewcastle-Brown guilty of the criminal defamation charge under Section 500 of the Penal Code and sentenced her in absentia.
The conviction and sentence was over her book “The Sarawak Report - The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose”.
Section 500 provides a punishment of up to two years imprisonment, or a fine, or both.
The case involved a paragraph in Rewcastle-Brown’s initial edition of her book which mentioned the sultanah.
Tarnished reputation
According to the charge sheet, the offending parts were in line seven of paragraph four on page three of the book.
“(It) contains accusations against Sultanah Nur Zahirah as underlined ‘the wife of the sultan’ which is libel where you have cause to believe that the accusation will spoil the good name of Sultanah Nur Zahirah.”
![](https://i.ncdn.xyz/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2019/05/58bd40191676370cff3fa3af6734f4ce.jpg)
The charge sheet claimed the book was written at Lot 60048, Taman Chenderiang, Kuala Terengganu at 8am on Sept 14, 2018.
However, later editions of the book removed the paragraph concerned.
Rewcastle-Brown was charged in absentia before the state’s lower court on Sept 23, 2021.
Last December, Rewcastle-Brown and two others were ordered to pay RM300,000 in defamation damages to the sultanah and in a separate civil suit concerning the same portion of the book.
However, she has a pending appeal over this civil matter at the apex court. - Mkini
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