Warrant extended for businessman’s ex-wife over ‘no-show’ in alleged battery case

 

The warrant, which was issued to Emilia Hanafi on May 20, was extended by the magistrate today. (Reuters pic)

GEORGE TOWN: The Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court has issued a warrant of arrest for Emilia Hanafi, 43, the ex-wife of tycoon SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin, over her failure to appear in a criminal case against her ex-husband.

Her lawyer Nizam Bashir said the warrant, which was issued on May 20, was extended by the magistrate today.

“As far as I am aware, Emilia produced a medical certificate (MC) from a government hospital on May 20 and today. So she must be within the country,” he said when asked about her whereabouts.

Faisal was charged with assaulting Emilia in 2016 under Section 323 of the Penal Code at the magistrates’ court in Kuala Lumpur.

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Emilia was scheduled to appear as a prosecution witness in the case.

The shariah court had previously imposed a jail term on Emilia, who allegedly did not adhere to a court order regarding visitation rights.

Meanwhile, Faisal’s lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader said the magistrates’ court had extended the arrest warrant after Emilia failed to attend court for the seventh time.

He said Emilia was the first witness in the assault case and had given the court seven MCs, including one today.

Akberdin said magistrate Nadia Othman then ordered the warrant for Emilia’s arrest to be further extended.

Akberdin, who is also Faisal’s lawyer in the child custody case at the shariah court, said police had been instructed to detain and send Emilia to the Kajang Prison to serve her seven-day contempt sentence.

In an earlier ruling regarding visitation rights, Kuala Lumpur shariah high court judge Fouzi Mokhtar said Emilia was sentenced to jail because she had failed to produce her children before Faisal despite several court orders to do so.

Fouzi said the seven-day sentence against Emilia was warranted as she had gone wilfully against the consent judgement recorded.

Emilia had reportedly filed a judicial review at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur in arguing the Kuala Lumpur shariah court had no right to impose such a sentence as she lived in Kajang, Selangor. - FMT