Defamation suit against Rafizi set for December trial

(The Star) – A civil claim filed by National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail against PKR vice president Mohd Rafizi Ramli and a news portal’s owner is set to go to trial.

Judicial Commissioner Azizul Azmi Adnan will hear the defamation suit for four days from Dec 8 to Dec 12, and then on Dec 16.

Speaking to reporters here, Mohd Rafizi’s lead counsel Razlan Hadri said the hearing dates were rescheduled because Dr Mohamad Salleh’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has to attend various Asean meetings in November.

Razlan said that the trial was originally scheduled for five days of hearings from Oct 26, adding that Shafee has to attend the meetings in his capacity as a representative of the government.

The hearings follow a mediation process which failed to settle the suit as there were certain terms and conditions that could not be agreed upon by the parties.

NFCorp and Dr Mohamad Salleh had filed the defamation suit on June 3, 2013 over a statement in relation to a loan to buy KL Eco City properties.

The plaintiffs named Pandan MP Mohd Rafizi and Malaysiakini news portal owner Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd as defendants.

Dr Mohamad Salleh had said in his statement of claim that Mohd Rafizi gave a defamatory statement at a press conference held at the PKR headquarters over the purchase of KL Eco City properties on March 7, 2012 which was published in Malaysiakini on the same day.

He said that he had suffered losses as a result of the lies, misleading information, exposure of confidential banking information and slander by the defendants.

He is seeking for an injunction to restrain the defendants from further misleading and deceiving the public over the loan issue as well as damages.