KUALA LUMPUR – Police have called on the public to provide information on the whereabouts of Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.
In a statement, police said Rewcastle-Brown, 62, is wanted after she failed to attend proceedings in a suit linked to Sultanah of Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah.
Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan cited an arrest warrant issued by the Kuala Terengganu magistrates’ court on September 23 against Rewcastle-Brown for her absence.
Rewcastle-Brown is facing a charge under Section 500 of the Penal Code for allegedly uttering defamatory statements in her book “The Sarawak Report: The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose”.
Sultanah Nur Zahirah earlier filed for defamation against Rewcastle-Brown, publishers GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd and Chong Ton Sin, and printer Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd.
On December 13, 2019, high court judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim held that the defendants had indeed defamed the sultanah, asserting that a passage in the book had cast aspersions on the plaintiff.
In her defence, Sultanah Nur Zahirah said the contents of the book would infer that she interfered in the state administration and used her influence to establish a sovereign wealth fund, which later became 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
However, the defence argued the justification of fair comment and qualified privilege.
The sultanah is seeking RM100 million in damages from each defendant.
Those who wish to contact the authorities can do so by engaging Classified Crime Investigation Unit chief Junainah M. Kasbolah at 019-705-1222 or the investigating officer of the case, Mohd Khairul Ridzuan Khiruddin, at 017-640-4440. – The Vibes, November 5, 2021
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