KUALA LUMPUR – Fugitive Nicky Liow’s lawyers have requested that they be removed as counsels in a defamation suit against anti-crime activist Datuk R. Sri Sanjeevan, as their client’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
The lawyers, via law firm Rajpal Firah & Vishnu, filed the application to the Shah Alam High Court on April 26 after Sanjeevan, who is MyWatch chairman, filed security for costs against Liow on April 2.
Security for costs allows a defendant, like Sanjeevan, to compel a plaintiff to pay monies to the court, due to the fear that the plaintiff may not be able to satisfy any court order for costs later.
In this case, Sanjeevan has requested Liow pay RM250,000 as security for costs.
“The plaintiff (Liow) is wanted by police for various commercial crimes, money laundering and involvement in an organised crime syndicate,” read the notice of application by Sanjeevan.
“Police, as of March 30, have not been able to track the plaintiff despite alerting the general public that the plaintiff is wanted by police, and he has failed to turn himself in.
“The defendant has reason to believe that the plaintiff is not able to pay costs if he is ordered to do so.”
The law firm, as reply to the request for security for costs, said: “Rajpal Firah & Vishnu have ceased to be and act as lawyers for the plaintiff in this action.”
In the application, it also said the reason for the lawyers’ withdrawal as counsels for the plaintiff is the fact that Liow has yet to instruct them on how to respond to Sanjeevan’s request for security for costs.
The lawyers also contend that it is impossible to receive instructions from Liow due to the fact that his whereabouts are unknown.
Liow sued Sanjeevan on October 16 last year for defamation concerning statements that were made in a Facebook post alleging that Liow was involved in a fight at The Scott Garden, where a Rela member was assaulted.
On April 20, Interpol issued a Red Notice against Liow, who heads “Geng Nicky”, and another the next day against his assistant, Niu Zhe, 31, a Chinese national.
(An Interpol Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.)
The notices were issued following a request by Malaysian police to locate and detain Liow. – The Vibes, May 7, 2021
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