(The Star) - The Sessions Court here has granted former Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in his criminal defamation trial as the police have yet to serve the warrant of arrest on him.
The showcause notice on his wife and bailor Mable @ Marina Lee was not served either, the court heard on Friday.
Raja Petra, 60, is charged with defaming Rosmah, Lt. Col Abdul Aziz Buyong and his wife Lt. Col Norhayati Hassan, in a statutory declaration made at the Jalan Duta Court complex here at 10.25am on June 18 last year.
The arrest warrant was issued on May 26 when he failed to turn up in court.
The two lieutenant-colonels have also filed a separate defamation suit against Raja Petra.
On Wednesday, the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court also gave Raja Petra a discharge not amounting to an acquittal because the police could not trace him to serve another warrant of arrest.
Judge Rozina Ayub, in making the order, said it was most embarrassing for all the parties concerned that the prosecution had failed to serve the warrant of arrest on Raja Petra, as a result of which a discharge had to be given and the case was left hanging and without an ending.
Rozana also ordered that a notice be served on Raja Petra’s wife, Marina Lee, to show cause why she should not forfeit the RM5,000 bail that she had posted.
On May 6 last year, Raja Petra, 60, pleaded not guilty to posting seditious words relating to an article in his web site www.malaysiatoday.net on April 25 last year.
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