(Bernama) - Former Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, who is charged with sedition, was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Sessions Court here on Wednesday because the police could not trace him.
Judge Rozina Ayub, in making the order, said it was most embarrassing for all the parties concerned that the prosecution had failed to serve the warrant of arrest on Raja Petra, as a result of which a discharge had to be given and the case was left hanging and without an ending.
“This case cannot proceed. It’s a pity because the the prosecution had called seven witnesses,” she said.
Rozana also ordered that a notice be served on Raja Petra’s wife, Marina Lee, to show cause why she should not forfeit the RM5,000 bail that she had posted.
“The bailor in this case, namely his wife, has to come to court to explain his absence, or forfeit the bail,” she said.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar informed the court that the police had failed to trace Raja Petra till today.
The court had expected the case to be disposed of by end of next month and the prosecution had lined up at least eight witnesses. However, Raja Petra went missing after seven witnesses were called.
The court subsequently gave three postponements -- on May 22, July 17 and a final one on Oct 12 to enable the prosecution and police to trace him.
On May 6 last year, Raja Petra, 60, pleaded not guilty to posting seditious words relating to an article in his web site www.malaysiatoday.net on April 25 last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment