THE EDITOR of the Sarawak Report web portal, Clare Rewcastle-Brown, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Kuala Terengganu magistrates’ court today for defaming the Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah.
The decision was made by magistrate Nik Mohd Tarmizie Nik Mohd Shukri after Rewcastle-Brown, 65, was found guilty of the charge, reported Berita Harian.
Nik Mohd Tarmizie ordered the prison sentence to start from the date of conviction, which is today.
The court previously issued an arrest warrant against Rewcastle-Brown for failing to appear to be charged in connection with the case.
The trial of the case was conducted in absentia under Section 425A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Rewcastle-Brown was charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code for making defamatory statements through the book “The Sarawak Report – The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose”.
Sultanah Nur Zahirah had earlier filed a defamation suit against Rewcastle-Brown on November 21, 2018 and demanded general damages of RM100 million.
She had claimed that the statements in question meant, among other things, that she was involved in corrupt practices and meddling in Terengganu state government affairs, and that she had used her status to influence the establishment of the Terengganu Investment Board (TIA) which was renamed 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Sultanah Nur Zahirah also claimed that the statement meant that Her Majesty was helping fugitive businessman Jho Low or Low Taek Jho to become TIA's advisor.
The prosecution was handled by the Deputy Public Prosecutor Engku Ahmad Rashdi Engku Abdillah, Mohd Khairuddin Idris and Nur Amalina Najwa Mohd Ali, Berita Harian reported.
Rewcastle-Brown, who hails from the United Kingdom, was charged at the Kuala Terengganu Magistrate's Court in absentia on September 23, 2021.
She had made an application to transfer the case to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
However, Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge K Muniandy on June 21, 2023 rejected the application. – The Vibes, February 7, 2024.
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