Nayati kidnap trial postponed to Tuesday for witness to testify

The trial of the men accused of kidnapping Dutch national Nayati Shamelin Moodliar has been postponed to Tuesday as the scheduled witness had to testify in a court elsewhere.

High Court judge Justice Kamardin Hashim allowed the application by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Nik Suhaimi Sulaiman to postpone the trial as the witness, DSP Zuraimi Zam Zam had gone to the High Court in Ipoh to testify in an ongoing case.

The court heard that another witness was also unable to attend as she was testifying in a case at a court outstation.

Nik Suhaimi added that the second accused, handphone seller Foong Khar Fai, 19, was also unable to be produced in court on Monday.

Foong, along with self-employed Chong Tat Siong and unemployed Lee Phak Seng, both 23, were charged on May 23 last year with kidnapping Nayati with the intent to get RM300,000 ransom.

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Ex-DO claims trial to bribery charge over sexual harassment retraction

Ex-DO claims trial to bribery charge over sexual harassment retraction


A former district officer claimed trial in a Sessions Court here to giving RM30,000 bribe to a woman to retract her sexual harassment accusation against him.

Former central Seberang Prai district officer, Roslan Yahaya, 52, on Monday denied handing the cash to Adle Ismail, 38, who is the woman's husband, through Mohd Shukri Hamid, 41, at around 10.30pm on Jan 3 this year.

The woman is Noor Amiza Azmee, 29.

The offence under Section 16 (b) (A) of the MACC Act 2009 provides for a jail term of 20 years and a fine of up to five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Sessions judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi set bail at RM15,000 and fixed Aug 29 for mention.

He also ordered Roslan to hand over his passport.

He was represented by S. Antonysamy while MACC DPP Janariah Abdul Mutalib prosecuted.

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Shafee’s appointment as lead prosecutor in Anwar sodomy appeal raises questions

An unprecedented move by the government to use Umno lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as the lead prosecutor in the appeal against the acquittal of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the sodomy case has raised eyebrows as this could lead to more charges of this being a politically-motivated case.

Shafee told the three-man Court of Appeal bench chaired by Datuk Ramly Ali that he was appointed by the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

He is replacing former solicitor-general II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden who led the prosecution team in the trial stage.

Shafee, a former deputy public prosecutor before he went into private practice, told reporters that he received a letter from Abdul Gani on July 11 to lead the prosecution team.

"My appointment is in accordance with the Federal Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code. The AG is the only person, and not even the prime minister, who can direct me on this," he said.

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