Karpal wants ‘brave’ court to put Nazri in the dock
(Free Malaysia Today0 – Lawyer Karpal Singh today urged the coroner’s court to allow the application to cite Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Aziz for contempt for calling Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand a “liar”. He argued that Nazri should appear in court to answer the charge against him.
Furthermore, he said that a precedent should be set to prevent interference in the court process, especially by Nazri since he is the de facto law minister.
“What is before this court is a very contemptuous matter and the court is expected to act without fear or favour and should be brave enough in allowing the application, besides proving a point that court officials are not affraid of the executive,” he said.
Karpal, who is acting for Teoh Meng Kee, added that the Attorney-General, as guardian of public interest, should not interfere in this matter.
Teoh had filed an ex-parte application on April 16 to cite Nazri for contempt based on a report by online news portal Malaysiakini which quoted the minister.
The coroner’s court is holding an inquest to determine the cause of death of Teoh’s brother, Beng Hock, whom Pornthip claimed could have been a victim of foul play.
Pornthip later claimed that she was pressured against testifying in the inquest, leading Nazri to dispute this as a fraudulent allegation.
