Hunt on for Raja Petra
(The Star) – Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin was slapped with a second arrest warrant when he failed to show up for his criminal defamation trial at the Sessions Court here.
Sessions Court judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat issued the warrant as well as a show-cause notice to the former ISA detainee’s wife and bailor Marina Lee Abdullah for not being in court to explain his absence.
The earlier arrest warrant against Raja Petra was issued by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on April 23 when he failed to show up for his sedition trial. He had claimed trial on May 6 last year to publishing a seditious article in his news portal on April 25.
Raja Petra, 59, had on July 17 last year claimed trial to three counts of criminal defamation over his statutory declaration on the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
The father of three boys and two girls is alleged to have defamed Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in a libellous statement in the declaration he affirmed on June 18.
He also faces two similar charges pertaining to Lt-Kol Norhayati Hassan and her husband Lt-Kol Abdul Aziz Buyong.
Raja Petra is said to have committed the offences at High Court (Civil 5) at the Jalan Duta court complex at 10.25am on June 18 last year.
At the outset of court proceedings, DPP Anselm Charles Fernandis applied for the arrest warrant and show-cause notice, saying that both Raja Petra and his wife were aware that the trial was set for three days from yesterday.
Counsel Amarjit Singh Sidhu told the judge that the defence team was waiting to get a trial date at the Court of Appeal for their appeal against the transfer order in the case.
Fernandis told the judge that this was a separate matter.
The judge agreed and issued the order and show-cause notice and set July 2 for mention.
Raja Petra had failed in his bid on Feb 13 to have his case transferred back to the magistrate’s court for trial.
He had on Nov 25 applied to the High Court to have his case heard by the magistrate’s court.
Subsequently, High Court Judicial Commis-sioner Zainal Azman Ab Aziz ruled that the decision by magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham on Aug 15 last year to transfer the case to the Sessions Court upon application by the Public Prosecutor was in order.
Raja Petra claims to be in a self-exile from Selangor because of a dispute with the state’s Palace.
He said in his news portal that he would not be attending the hearings, not only because of his brush with the Palace but that he also feared another ISA arrest. He also said that he did not want to face possible treason charges.
According to press reports, the police believe that Raja Petra is in Brisbane.
