KUALA LUMPUR – Former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam has been found guilty of contempt of court for intimidating a witness in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial.
The high court here today sentenced him to a month’s jail following the verdict.
The witness is Najib’s former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.
In his ruling, high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said: “I find the act of the respondent, accompanied with intent, to make the media statement and police report amounted to a threat against PW8 (prosecution witness No. 8) and other potential witnesses in the trial, giving rise to risk to the due administration of justice, and amounting to contempt of court.”
He allowed a stay of execution of the prison sentence pending disposal of Lokman’s appeal, with a bond of RM3,000 with one surety.
On October 22, 2019, Sequerah granted leave to the then attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas to initiate committal proceedings against Lokman for contempt of court perpetrated on two occasions on September 25 the same year.
On January 14, 2020, Sequerah rejected Lokman’s application to set aside the leave obtained by Thomas.
Lokman also lost two appeals at the Court of Appeal and Federal Court to overturn the high court ruling.
Thomas initiated the committal proceedings to seek an order for Lokman to be imprisoned or fined.
He said Lokman, in a video interview on September 25, 2019, uttered words constituting an express or implied threat against Amhari Efendi for having given evidence in Najib’s trial at the high court.
On the same day, said Thomas, Lokman lodged a police report against Amhari Efendi in relation to the evidence tendered during the trial.
He added that the purpose of Lokman’s action was to harass and intimidate Amhari Efendi, as well as other and potential witnesses. – The Vibes, July 15, 2021
