KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has fixed Feb 15 for mention of a lawsuit by (*15*) Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki against anti-graft activist Lalitha Kunaratnam.
Azam, who has been caught in an argument involving the acquisition of thousands and thousands of shares in two public-listed firms in 2015, filed the writ of summons against Lalitha by means of regulation agency Messrs Zain Megat & Murad on Wednesday (Jan 12).
A examine with the courtroom’s e-filing system confirmed that the matter had been fixed for mention by way of e-review earlier than senior assistant registrar Noordura Mohamed Din at 9am.
In his assertion of declare, sighted by The Star, Azam mentioned the defendant had printed two articles titled “Business Ties Among MACC Leadership: How Deep Does It Go? (Part 1)” and “Business Ties Among MACC Leadership: How Deep Does It Go? (Part 2)” on information portal Independent News Service on Oct 26.
The two articles had been republished on Dec 15.
The articles, Azam claimed, had been drafted, printed and republished with malice and mala fide (unhealthy intention) to offer affect and unhealthy notion to the readers for them to conclude that Azam was a corrupt civil servant who abused his place as a top-ranking MACC officer for his personal pursuits in addition to his brother’s.
Azam additionally claimed that the defendant had made tweets referring to the articles, together with importing a media assertion from the defendant’s lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon on Twitter, which Azam mentioned had been “sensational, scandalous and offensive”.
He claimed the tweets and the media assertion had been meant to achieve public sympathy and an try by the defendant to get him right into a trial by media.
Azam additional claimed that the defendant had by no means obtained affirmation from him concerning the articles.
The plaintiff mentioned the difficulty of him getting promotions in a brief time frame within the MACC, as raised by the defendant in her articles, was with out benefit.
He claimed the defendant had defamed the MACC as an entire as if the anti-graft company had no due course of in its promotion of employees.
“What is worse, it was as if the defendant had insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who had appointed the plaintiff because the chief commissioner in step with the present regulation,” he mentioned.
Azam claimed the defendant had tarnished his good title, fame and standing because of the publication and re-publication of the articles, tweets and the lawyer’s media assertion.
He desires an injunction against the defendant or her brokers from republishing the allegations against him and for her to take down the impugned defamatory statements, articles and tweets that harm his public picture.
Azam can be in search of an apology from the defendant to be printed in newspapers and social media platforms of his selection.
He is in search of RM10mil generally damages, aggravated damages, pursuits, prices and different reliefs deemed match by the courtroom.
