`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Najib, Rosmah’s lawyer dismisses Rafizi’s claim of selective prosecution

Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor say the defamation suit against Rafizi Ramli is not selective prosecution. – AFP filepic, July 23, 2015.Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor say the defamation suit against Rafizi Ramli is not selective prosecution. – AFP filepic, July 23, 2015.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor have dismissed a claim by Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli that they are "selectively prosecuting" him in their defamation suit for remarks related to fuel prices made at a forum.
According to their lawyer Choo Shi Jiu, from the legal firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, the couple in their reply to Rafizi's counter claim, said they had also sued others.
"There is no 'selective prosecution' as claimed by the defendant (Rafizi)," Choo told the Malaysian Insider.
Najib last year filed a suit against news portal Malaysiakini over readers' comments following the replacement of former Terengganu menteri besar Datuk Ahmad Said.
He also filed suits against Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua over statements relating to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Najib had sued PAS organ Harakahdaily over allegations that 1MDB had financed his stepson's venture in the production of a Hollywood movie.
He and Rosmah had sued Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming over a photograph posted on Facebook.
Rafizi and Mediarakyat portal owner, Chan Chee Kong, in their amendment to a counter suit against the prime minister and Rosmah, said the couple was selective in picking them as targets.
In his defence and a counter claim filed earlier against the defamation suit, Rafizi said the couple's action in going to court was an abuse of process.
Rafizi, who is also PKR secretary-general, said Najib and Rosmah were also curtailing his freedom of speech, a right protected under the Federal Constitution.
High Court judge Datuk Noraini Abdul Rahman will meet lawyers to give further instructions during a case management on August 5.
The Malaysian Insider on June 5 reported that Rafizi, in his defence to the defamation suit, said the remarks against Najib and Rosmah were made in jest and could not amount to defamation.
Rafizi had said that rising fuel prices would allow Rosmah to buy more diamond rings.
He is also relying on the defence of fair comment and qualified privilege to have the suit dismissed.
In their statement of claim filed on March 16 , the couple said Rafizi had uttered defamatory remarks relating to rising fuel prices at a forum in Bandar Tun Razak on November 22, last year.
Najib and Rosmah said Rafizi's speech in a video titled "Kenapa kita pertahan subsidi minyak" (Why we defend petrol subsidies) was recorded by Mediarakyat, and Chan or his assistants uploaded it on YouTube for public viewing.
The video was also on Rafizi's Facebook page.
Najib and Rosmah said Rafizi's speech in the video was clearly intended to defame them.
They added that Chan also failed to subscribe to the principles of responsible journalism for his failure to verify the allegation before the video was made available for public consumption.
“The defendants knew that any publication will bring irreparable damage to us and lower our reputation in the minds of the public," the statement of claim said.
They are also demanding that Chan remove the video from YouTube, Mediarakyat and Facebook.
- TMI

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.