After an unexplained delay of 3 months, the notorious ‘Datuk T’ trio were charged and convicted on June 24 for exhibiting an obscene film in public under s.292(a) of the Penal Code. As expected, the trio were let off with ‘a slap on the wrist’. However what is truly shocking is the conduct of the prosecution in court today. The prosecution submitted a statement of facts which alleged that the video recording is authentic and that an expert in the United States had found that the person in the video resembled Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Clearly, the authenticity of the video and the alleged identity of the person in it is completely irrelevant to the offence of exhibiting an obscene recording in public. It is highly unusual and against accepted procedure in criminal prosecutions to insert such irrelevant matters into the statement of facts. In short, the representative of the Attorney General went out of his way to smear the reputation of Anwar Ibrahim.
Not being a party to the proceedings, Anwar had no opportunity to defend himself. What happened in court on June 24 was disgraceful and sickening; it is a basic rule of our legal system that court proceedings must never be used to abuse and slander absent third parties.
The events in court on June 24 is clear proof of the involvement of the highest authorities, including the police leadership and the A-G’s Chambers, in the conspiracy to defame and destroy Anwar Ibrahim politically and personally. Their pretence of impartiality and independence is laughable, and widely disbelieved by the Rakyat. It is also very disturbing that the courts have allowed the authorities to misuse court process for unlawful and unjust purposes.
N SURENDRAN
VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN
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