Lawyer lodges report against ex-MP for contempt of court

Lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon (right) says he has evidence that N Gobalakrishnan was campaigning in the Semenyih by-election but the former MP maintains he was in Kulim, Kedah.

PETALING JAYA: Lawyer and former Malaysian Bar president Manjeet Singh Dhillon has lodged a police report against former Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan for allegedly showing disrespect to the Federal Court.

Gobalakrishnan, who is appealing against liability and damages for defaming Manjeet, produced a medical certificate to stay away from a court proceeding on Tuesday.

“I have evidence that he was actively campaigning in the on-going Semenyih by-election but he sent the medical certificate to be absent from court on Tuesday,” Manjeet said.

He said he made the report at the Brickfields police station yesterday for contempt of court and offences committed under the Penal Code.

“This morning, a police officer from Putrajaya recorded my statement to start the investigation,” he told FMT.

Gobalakrishnan denied that he was in Semenyih on Monday and Tuesday to campaign for Barisan Nasional candidate Zakaria Hanafi.

“I went to a government hospital in Kulim, Kedah, which is my hometown, as I was not well and obtained a certificate for two days,” he said.

A three-member bench chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim adjourned the hearing to April 4.

Zaharah said it would be the final adjournment as Gobalakrishnan had produced a similar certificate to the court last month.

Last year, the Court of Appeal affirmed the findings of the High Court against Gobalakrishnan and former Utusan Malaysia journalist Raja Syahrir Abu Bakar and Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad for defaming Manjeet.

In the High Court, Gobalakrishnan was ordered to pay RM150,000 in damages while the ex-journalist and the publisher were ordered to pay RM200,000 in compensation.

The appellate court also ordered TV3 to pay RM200,000 in damages following an appeal by Manjeet.

Utusan Melayu has appealed against the ruling to the Federal Court but TV3 did not pursue the matter.

Gobalakrishnan had uttered defamatory words in an interview by the media during the murder trial of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya.

Manjeet filed a RM2.5 million suit on Sept 26, 2011 in which he named Gobalakrishnan, Raja Syahrir, Utusan Melayu and TV3 as defendants. - FMT