DAP’s National Legal Bureau chairperson Ramkarpal Singh has dismissed calls for party chairperson Lim Guan Eng to be cited for contempt of court.
This is over remarks the Bagan MP made in relation to his ongoing corruption trial.
Ramkarpal (above) in a statement said Lim, a former Penang chief minister, was merely reiterating his innocence which he had maintained from the beginning of the trial.
As such, he said calls for attorney-general Idrus Harun to cite Lim for contempt were baseless.
"It was reported that various police reports have been lodged for the said purpose but it must be remembered that Lim has always taken the position there is no truth to the allegations against him and has left it to his lawyer to prove that this is the case in the course of the trial.
"In the circumstances, his comments do not in any way touch on the integrity of the court proceedings, neither do they question the integrity of the judge hearing his case," said the Bukit Gelugor MP.
Earlier today, New Straits Times reported that the MACC lodged two separate reports against Lim and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman at the Presint 7 police station in Putrajaya.
The duo was accused of committing contempt of court.
According to NST, the report against Syed Saddiq claimed that his lawyer, Lim Wei Jiet, described the charges against the Muda president as being politically motivated.
Separately, The Star quoted Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim confirming the reports were lodged.
"I confirm that police reports have been lodged. We will refer the matter to the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for further action," Abu Kassim was quoted as saying.
‘Should be allowed to maintain innocence’
Ramkarpal said contempt proceedings might be instituted against an individual who interferes in the administration of justice.
However, he said merely telling the public that one intends to clear their name in court does not amount to such interference.
"The truth of the matter will emerge during the trial, particularly after the complainant has been cross-examined.
"But Lim should be allowed to maintain his innocence, which is consistent with his plea of not guilty right from the beginning of his trial," said Ramkarpal.
Lim yesterday described court testimony alleging that he received bribes as untrue and "imaginary".
This is after a witness in his corruption trial - Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd senior executive director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli - claimed that Lim was happy to receive RM200,000 in bribes.
The ongoing trial concerns four graft charges against Lim, all regarding the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.
Lim's corruption trial will resume at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Monday with lead defence counsel Gobind Singh Deo cross-examining Zarul as the 23rd prosecution witness.
Syed Saddiq is on trial for four charges of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds, and money laundering of more than RM1mil belonging to Bersatu’s youth wing when he was the wing’s leader. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.