Lawyer for ex-CCID boss sues MACC
(Malaysian Mirror) – A prominent lawyer Rosli Dahlan is suing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for RM50 million for alleged defamation, assault and false imprisonment.
In the lawsuit filed today, the 46-year old Rosli claimed that the MACC deliberately tarnished his professional reputation. He named 17 parties as respondents including the anti-graft commission’s deputy commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed, several officers, the Attorney-General Chambers, Bank Negara, Utusan Malaysia and the government.
A Singaporean with Malaysian permanent resident status, Rosli was charged with failing to declare his assets within two months as required under a notice dated July 17, 2007, although an extension to Aug 16 was given.
According to local laws, this is an offence punishable under Section 32 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997. The section provides for a minimum jail term of 14 days and 20 years maximum and fine not more than RM100,000 upon conviction.
Link to ex-CCID boss
Rosli had acted as solicitor for Datuk Ramli Yusoff, the former Director of the Commercial Crimes Investigation, who was being probed by the anti-corruption agency for accumulating RM27 million in assets which he did not declare.
Ramli was given a month to submit his full statement of income and expenditure over 37 years since 1970. At the same time, the graft buster also asked Rosli – a partner in a well-renowned law firm – to declare his assets.
The lawyer has claimed he wrote back seeking further clarification but the ACA did not reply and when the deadline expired, he was promptly arrested for non-compliance.
"I stand in this dock very sad", Rosli had said when he was brought to court on Oct 12 to face charges of having failed to comply with the notice to disclose full information on his assets.
"The timing to prosecute me on the eve of Hari Raya is calculated to humiliate me. The intention is clear. I think I have suffered enough. I am being persecuted. As a officer of justice, I never thought I could be subjected to this. I also suffered injury in the manner I was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Agency officers yesterday.”
