Arun Kasi to be freed next week

Lawyer Arun Kasi, who was imprisoned for 30 days over a contempt of court charge, is expected to be freed on Tuesday.

Arun's lawyer Joy Appukuttan told Malaysiakini that a group of lawyers will be at the main gate of Kajang prison to receive him at about 9am.

"We received a letter from the Kajang Prison Department yesterday which informs us that Arun will be released on Tuesday," he said.

Subsequently, Joy said he and Malaysian Bar vice-president Roger Chan visited Arun at the prison yesterday, and he was in a pink of health.

On April 23, the Federal Court sentenced Arun to 30-day jail and imposed a RM40,000 fine after it ruled that Arun made contemptuous statements online.

The statements, made in two Aliran articles dated Feb 16 and 22, were in relation to the Federal Court expunging a dissenting judgment by Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer in the case of Leap Modulation Sdn Bhd vs PCP Construction Sdn Bhd.

Arun had previously asserted that his comments constituted fair criticism.

"Many lawyers pledged and paid the RM40,000 fine for Arun. We thank all the lawyers who have supported and paid fine for Arun.

"I am sure Arun has a lot of things to say (upon his release) and thank the lawyers who had helped him," said Joy.

He did not disclose the names of the lawyers who had helped Arun.

Meanwhile, Joy said that Arun is still waiting for the audio recordings (known as CRT recordings) of the earlier proceedings of his case from the court which he had requested last month.

"We are still waiting for the court's next course of action on the request," he said. - Mkini