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news without borders
MB stops pixman
from taking photos
IPOH: Perak Mentri Besar Datuk
Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamalud-
din prevented a photographer
from Utusan Malaysia from taking
pictures of the delivery of a letter
of demand from a representative
of the legal firm Shafee & Co to
him yesterday.
After seizing the camera, he
told the photographer, Mohd Najib
Mohd Nor, to erase the pictures.
The incident took place when
he was having lunch at the State
Legislative Assembly dining hall.
When Mohd Najib began taking
the pictures, Mohammad Nizar
told him to get out while asking:
“Where are you from? Why are
you taking my photograph without
seeking my permission?”
Mohd Najib agreed to erase
the pictures in front of the mentri
besar but refused to hand over
the memory card.
The letter of demand asked
Mohammad Nizar to make a public
apology and retract his statement
made to the media alleging that
former Perak mentri besar Datuk
Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali was behind
a conspiracy that led to the arrest
of two state executive councillors
by the Anti-Corruption Agency in
August. – Bernama
Cop’s son jailed
for causing death
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court
here sentenced a student to 10
years in jail yesterday after he
pleaded guilty to causing the
death of a marketing officer.
Mohd Airi Abd Rashid, 25,
a police officer’s son, admit-
ted to causing the death of
Fariz Zainal, 21, on Jalan Walter
Grenier here at 3.30am on Feb
18, 2007.
Judicial Commissioner Zainal
Azman Ab Aziz ordered the jail
term to run from that day.
According to the facts of the
case, Airi was involved in a fight
between two groups after a car
race. During the commotion, he
picked up a knife and stabbed
Fariz in the abdomen.
The charge under Section
304(a) of the Penal Code carries
a sentence of up to 20 years in
jail and a fine. – Bernama
Two charged over
RM172m deposits
KUALA LUMPUR: Two direc-
tors of Mercantile Point Sdn Bhd
pleaded not guilty in the sessions
court yesterday to taking deposits
totalling RM172 million without a
licence.
Rusdie Ganning, 48, and Hariyah
Haji Yaacob, 51, are alleged to have
committed the offence at Level 5,
Wisma UOA II, Jalan Pinang here,
between April 24 last year and
April 2 this year.
The offence under Section
6 (4) of the Banking and Financial
Institutions Act 1989 carries a jail
term of up to 10 years or a fine of
RM10 million or both.
Judge Rozana Ali Yusoff fixed
bail at RM300,000 each and set
Dec 22 for re-mention of the case.
– Bernama
theSun
Raja Petra
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Kamarudin sedition sedition
trial trial
Re-examination of
computers allowed
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Zakaria’s
family PETALING JAYA: The
sessions court yesterday
must granted an application by the
give up prosecution to have several
garden computers seized from the
home of Malaysia Today
pg 14 editor Raja Petra Kamarudin
re-examined by police forensics
expert ASP Wa’ie Isqal Kria
Abdullah.
Sessions court judge Rozina
Ayob, in making the decision in
the sedition trial of Raja Petra,
however, stipulated that counsel
from both the prosecution and
defence could be present at the
re-examination of the laptop
and desktop computers, at a
venue to be decided by the
parties.
Her decision was read by
magistrate Ho Kwong Chin,
sitting in for Rozina, who was
indisposed yesterday.
Defence counsel Gobind
Singh Deo said the application
was a desperate attempt by the
prosecution.
“I think the prosecution is
desperate. They are looking
for ways and means in which
to improve their case against
Raja Petra, and I think they
have come to a point where
they realise the weaknesses in
their case, so they have to resort
to the last and most desperate
attempt to get the court to assist
them in their investigations,”
he said.
Gobind maintained, how-
ever, that the defence would
| THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13 2008
abide by the court’s decision.
“The decision has been made
and we as lawyers respect it for
now. We will discuss and decide
what to do in due course. The
ruling stands, whether or not
we like it, so we will do as the
judge has directed and take it
from there,” he said.
Raja Petra, 58, is charged
with publishing a seditious
article titled “Let’s Send the
Altantuya Murderers to Hell” in
his blog at www.malaysia-today.
net on April 25.
He is alleged to have
committed the offence at his
residence at 5, Jalan BRP 5/5,
Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai
Buloh.
The charge under Section
4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948
carries a jail term of up to three
years or a maximum fine of
RM5,000 or both.
The trial, which was
adjourned after Rozina’s
decision was read, will resume
on Dec 16 through to Dec 19.
On Tuesday, lead
prosecutor DPP Ishak Mohd
Yusof had applied to the court
under Section 425 of the
Criminal Procedure Code to
allow Wa’ie to re-examine the
two computers – an Asus laptop
and a Dell desktop.
“We ask that the witness
be allowed to analyse the
computers and extract folders
which he has told the court he
has not read,” Ishak said.
He said the court had the
power “to order an exhibit in or
out of the courtroom”.