KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here has set July 15 for its decision on whether former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam will be held in contempt of court for allegedly intimidating a key witness in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial.
The witness is the former prime minister’s ex-special officer, Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam, when contacted, said the new date was fixed after the court vacated the initial date, which was yesterday, due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
“The parties involved have been notified via email.”
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will deliver the decision.
On October 22, 2019, Sequerah granted leave to 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 last year, the judge 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’s ruling.
Thomas initiated the committal proceedings to seek an order for Lokman to be imprisoned or fined.
The former AG said on September 25, 2019, Lokman, in a video interview, 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, the eighth prosecution witness, 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. – Bernama, June 16, 2021
