Court to decide on Aug 22 if AG can be challenged in ‘torture porn’ case

 

Animal rights group Hidup said the AGC must justify why it will not charge a man suspected of torturing baby long-tailed macaques. (Freepik pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has fixed Aug 22 to decide whether to allow an animal rights group to proceed with its legal challenge to review the attorney-general’s (AG) decision not to charge a man for the alleged torture of baby long-tailed macaques.

Justice Ahmad Kamal Shahid fixed the date after hearing submissions from the NGO’s lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, and senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly, who appeared for the AG.

Last month, Hak Asasi Hidupan Liar Malaysia (Hidup) filed an application for a judicial review of the AG’s decision not to charge the man suspected of torturing the monkeys.

It claimed that the AG’s decision to classify the case as requiring “no further action” (NFA) was unreasonable.

The group claimed an investigating officer told Hidup member Dr Kartini Farah Abdul Rahim that the suspect had admitted to torturing monkeys during investigations.

The probe was triggered by a police report lodged by Kartini after a video of the “torture” incident went viral on social media.

“The AG did not act on the police report to charge the suspect despite his admission,” she said in her affidavit filed to support her application for leave, adding that the man was instead released by the authorities.

Hidup wants the court to review the AG’s decision not to prosecute the suspect, quash the case’s “NFA” classification and direct the AG to pursue criminal charges against the man.

The police report was filed in January after a tip-off from US-based animal rights organisation Lady Freethinker and its British-based counterpart, Action for Primates.

The suspect is alleged to have recorded the torture of the primates and sold the footage on a Telegram group named “Monkey Haters”, which charges a fee to subscribers who wish to watch such videos in full.

On April 5, Shah Alam criminal investigation department director Shukri Ayob confirmed the attorney-general’s chambers’ decision to classify the case as “NFA”.

His letter stated that the investigation papers were referred to the deputy public prosecutor’s office on March 30. - FMT