Lokman Adam sends letter of representation over 1MDB-linked contempt case

PUTRAJAYA – UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam (picture) has sent a letter of representation to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) regarding the contempt of court conviction involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.

Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said this at Lokman Noor’s appeal proceedings at the Federal Court here presided over by Chief Justice of Malaya Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

On Oct 26 last year, the Court of Appeal upheld the one-month prison sentence against Lokman Noor, 50, after rejecting his appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence, as well as the prosecutor’s cross-appeal to increase the Kuala Lumpur High Court sentence in 2021.

According to Muhammad Shafee, the representation letter was sent yesterday, and if it was accepted by the AGC, his client’s appeal would not need to continue.

“Therefore, I request that the day’s proceedings be postponed pending the decision of the representation,” he said.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar confirmed that the prosecution had received the representation and did not object to the postponement of the appeal proceedings today.

Judge Mohamad Zabidin who presided with Federal Court judges Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof and Datuk Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal allowed the adjournment and fixed Feb 14 next year for the hearing of the appeal and to know the status of the representation.

On July 15, 2021, Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah sentensed Lokman Noor to one month in prison after he was found guilty of contempt of court for threatening Najib’s former special officer, Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, who is also the main witness in the 1MDB case.

On Oct 22, 2019, Judge Collin permitted the then Attorney-General, Tan Sri Tommy Thomas to initiate committal proceedings against Lokman Noor for his alleged contempt of court on Sept 25, 2019.

According to Thomas on Sept 25, 2019, Lokman Noor in an interview uttered threatening words against Amhari Efendi for testifying at the former prime minister’s trial in the High Court.

Thomas said on the same day, Lokman Noor filed a police report against Amhari Efendi, the eighth prosecution witness, over the latter’s testimony at the trial.

He said the aim or purpose of Lokman Noor’s action was to harass and intimidate Amhari Efendi, other witnesses and any potential witnesses to testify against Najib in the 1MDB case trial. – BERNAMA