KUALA LUMPUR – Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali has lodged a police report against an article by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that alleged over RM1 million was deposited into the latter’s bank account by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.
The Palace of Justice Chief Registrar’s Office said in a statement that the police report was made against the false and baseless accusations directed at Nazlan, claiming it was aimed at undermining the judge’s professional reputation and the judiciary system.
“This office takes such allegations and comments seriously and reminds the public that any accusation against the judiciary with intentions to affect any ongoing trial violates the principle of sub judice,” read the statement.
It further urged police to expedite investigations and preserve the confidence of the people in the country’s judiciary system, while ensuring the administration of justice runs smoothly.
The statement, which included the police report, urged for investigations into the case to be conducted under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the improper use of network facilities and services.
Raja Petra’s article on Tuesday claimed an investigation was initiated into the RM1 million that supposedly made its way into Nazlan’s Maybank account during his previous position as the bank’s group counsel and company secretary.
The blog post claimed the RM1,036,127.40 deposited into Nazlan’s Maybank account was part of a RM2 million payment he allegedly received from Low for “services rendered”.
The article stops short of explaining what these “services rendered” were.
Raja Petra had previously claimed conflict of interest on the part of Nazlan, who as a high court judge in 2020 convicted and sentenced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to 12 years imprisonment and a RM210 million fine.
The blogger had claimed Nazlan’s judgment against Najib over his seven charges of corruption, money laundering, and abuse of power involving 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd should be disqualified after his involvement with Maybank surfaced, a bank that allegedly gave 1MDB a RM6.17 billion loan in 2012.
Nazlan’s sentence against Najib was upheld by the Court of Appeal in December last year and is pending a final appeal at the Federal Court – The Vibes, April 21, 2022
