The much-anticipated testimony of controversial carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishian (above) at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today has been postponed to March 19.
The postponement was made as one of the counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdulah, could not be present as he was appearing at the Federal Court.
Justice Hue Siew Kheng fixed the date after Shafee informed all parties and applied to postpone the case.
Deepak was scheduled to testify today in the suit by A Santamil Selvi and her three children against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and seven others including Deepak for loss of income and injury.
Santamil is the widow of private investigator P Balasubramaniam who was linked to the controversial murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibu.
Santamil and her children filed their suit last Aug 1, claiming injury and loss of income following the family's exile to India from 2008 to 2013.
They claimed they were forced to flee as they feared for their safety following Balasubramaniam's first and second statutory declarations (SD) to the authorities on the murder of Altantuya.
Santamil (below, left) then filed an application to cross-examine Deepak after he gave two defence statements, one which he personally handed to the widow's former lawyer Americk Sidhu on Oct 25 when he (Deepak) was not represented in the suit.
The second was filed on Nov 6 by Shafee through the latter's firm Shafee & Co when he was appointed Deepak's lawyer later.
Deepak's first defence statement had implicated Najib and Rosmah, while the second filed by Shafee denied any notion of Najib and Rosmah's involvement in the matter.
Following this conflict, Santamil filed an application to strike out the second defence statement by Shafee and also to remove Shafee as Deepak's lawyer.
On Feb 6, the High Cout allowed Santamil's application to cross-examine Deepak to which the latter replied that he hoped "… to finally tell the truth which I hope will set me free".
Malaysiakini previously reported that whistle-blower website Sarawak Report editor Claire Rewcastle Brown had in an affidavit sworn that Deepak was forced to appoint Shafee under duress and that he (Deepak) had handed over RM250,000 to Americk to be given to Santamil.
Americk has previously stood as a witness for Santamil in the proceedings.
Last Dec 7, Najib, Rosmah and six others had applied to strike out the suit by Santamil and her children but failed.
The other defendants in the case are Najib's younger brothers, Ahmad Johari and Nazim, lawyers Cecil Abraham, Sunil Abraham and M Arulampalam and commissioner for oaths Zainal Abidin Muhayat.
Shafee (above) had in 2006 defended Razak-linked political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda 53 when he was charged with abetment in Altantuya's murder.
Razak Baginda was acquitted while two policemen - Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar – were later found guilty of the model's murder. -Mkini
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