Singapore cops confirm AGC’s order to investigate M’sian lawyer Zaid Malek over contempt

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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Saturday (July 9) confirmed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has issued an order to investigate Malaysian lawyer Zaid Abd Malek, for alleged contempt of courtroom.

SPF mentioned this in its reply to Bernama’s question on a press release posted on Zaid’s Facebook on Thursday (July 7) on his “detention at Singapore Airport by Immigration Authorities and interrogation by Singapore Police from Monday (July 4) to Wednesday (July 6).”

The order was issued on March 17, 2020, relating to the publication of an article on Feb 14, 2020, in regards to the dismissal of lawsuits filed by two convicted Malaysian drug traffickers, A. Gobi and Ok. Datchinamurthy, over the alleged execution strategies practised by jail authorities.

The mentioned article referred to statements made by Zaid in his capability because the director of the non-governmental organisation, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL).

Zaid’s statements, SPF mentioned, had recommended that the Singapore Courts had been unfair and ignored due course of by dashing the listening to and that the Singapore Courts had been “bent on dismissing the fits and continuing to execution”.

“These statements had been revealed on-line and accessed by members of the general public in Singapore,” it mentioned, including that Zaid was abroad when the order was issued in 2020, and had not been to Singapore till his arrival on Monday.

Zaid acknowledged he had arrived at Seletar Airport on that day at 12.15pm to help and supply authorized recommendation to the household of Malaysian demise row prisoner Kalwant Singh, who was executed on Thursday.

However, he was not given the same old immigration clearance and as an alternative made to look forward to up to 4 hours till two officers arrived on the airport and served a discover ordering him to attend a Police interview pertaining to the investigations underneath the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act 2016 (AOJPA).

SPF mentioned Zaid knowledgeable them that he was out there for the interview on Wednesday and officers then scheduled the interview with him at Police Cantonment Complex accordingly.

“Thereafter, Zaid was allowed to go away the airport,” it mentioned.

According to SPF, Zaid attended the interview on the Police Cantonment Complex on the set date to help in investigations pertaining to the AOJPA offence.

Before the graduation of the interview from 10.17am to about 12.05pm, Zaid was knowledgeable that he may request for breaks at any level however he didn’t request for any all through the interview.

The SPF famous that Zaid left the Police Cantonment Complex shortly after the assertion recording ended.

Upon the conclusion of investigations on the identical day, SPF mentioned, in session with AGC, it served a 24-month conditional warning to Zaid and LFL in lieu of prosecution for the offence of contempt of courtroom underneath Section 3(1)(a) of the AOJPA on Wednesday, earlier than his scheduled departure the following day.

“Zaid accepted each warnings served to him and LFL in his capability because the director for LFL.

“Zaid arrived on the Police Cantonment Complex to obtain the warnings on Wednesday at about 8.48pm and left the constructing at about 9.20pm,” mentioned SPF.

Under Section 11 of the AOJPA 2016, SPF mentioned, the publication in relation to contempt of courtroom, if revealed by means of the Internet or different digital media, is taken to be revealed in Singapore if it was accessed by members of the general public in Singapore, mentioned SPF.

Zaid in his assertion had mentioned he was “being detained and probed over a press release issued in Malaysia, and never in Singapore.” – Bernama



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