Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (May 19): The High Court has fixed July 23 for Datuk Lokman Noor Adam (pictured) to answer his charge of contempt instituted by the prosecution for apparent intimidation of a 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-Tanore trial witness.

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah fixed the date after being informed by senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram and Lokman's counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah about the Court of Appeal's decision last week that upheld the High Court's decision to grant leave for the prosecution to initiate contempt against the politician.

Shafee informed the court that he has received instruction to appeal the matter in the Federal Court.

“Normally, an appeal which is a criminal appeal may take three months but we will file a certificate of urgency (for this appeal). May I suggest this court could fix a date in two months for [the] hearing, for the apex court to fix an early date to hear the appeal.”

Justice Sequerah then asked whether the prosecution objects to the stay, and Sri Ram said they cannot object as the issue brought is an important point of law and this is the first time it is being tested.

Shafee indicated that the hearing may not take long, probably an hour, and can take place on one of the 1MDB trial dates.

Following that, the judge fixed July 23 as the hearing date, which also corresponds to a date in the 1MDB trial.

Initially, today was fixed as mention for the committal proceedings against Lokman.

Lokman is accused of threatening prosecution witness Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin in a video interview on Sept 25 last year, for having given evidence in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial at the High Court.

Amhari was formerly an aide of Najib, when he was prime minister and finance minister.

The Edge is covering the trial live here.

Users of The Edge Markets app may tap here to access the live report.

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