(Bernama) -- The Sessions Court on Friday was told that a warrant of arrest issued against blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin could not be served as he still could not be traced despite various efforts by the police.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Hafiz Mohd Yusoff said the show cause notice to Raja Petra's bailor, Mable@Marina Lee, also could not be served.
He said this at the trial of Raja Petra, who is charged with defaming the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and two others.
Today is the second time the case was called up for mention. The first was on May 26 when the arrest warrant was issued.
Raja Petra, 59, 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.
Investigating officer ACP Aziz Zakaria, who was testifying under oath, said police had taken various steps to locate Raja Petra, including placing an officer to monitor his house in Sungai Buloh.
"We do receive information on Raja Petra's movement and have tried to locate him at several locations where he would normally be, but until now we don't know where he is," he added.
He said efforts to track down Raja Petra would continue as he also had a case at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court, which had also issued an arrest warrant against him.
Aziz also said he could not ascertain if Raja Petra was still in the country or not.
Judge Mohamad Sakeri Mamat set Nov 13 for final mention of the case.
He said this at the trial of Raja Petra, who is charged with defaming the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and two others.
Today is the second time the case was called up for mention. The first was on May 26 when the arrest warrant was issued.
Raja Petra, 59, 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.
Investigating officer ACP Aziz Zakaria, who was testifying under oath, said police had taken various steps to locate Raja Petra, including placing an officer to monitor his house in Sungai Buloh.
"We do receive information on Raja Petra's movement and have tried to locate him at several locations where he would normally be, but until now we don't know where he is," he added.
He said efforts to track down Raja Petra would continue as he also had a case at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court, which had also issued an arrest warrant against him.
Aziz also said he could not ascertain if Raja Petra was still in the country or not.
Judge Mohamad Sakeri Mamat set Nov 13 for final mention of the case.
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Final postponement to serve arrest warrant on Raja Petra
(NST) - The Sessions Court granted a final postponement to serve a warrant of arrest on Raja Petra Kamarudin in connection with a criminal defamation case.
Judge Mohamad Sakeri Mamat set Nov 13 as the next mention date following an application by DPP Mohd Hafiz Mohd Yusoff for a month to try and serve the warrant of arrest on the blogger and a show-cause notice to the bailor, Marina Lee Abdullah, Raja Petra’s wife.
The warrant of arrest was issued on May 26 when Raja Petra failed to turn up in court for the defamation trial.
It was no-show again by him for the mention on the warrant of arrest on July 2.
Yesterday was the second mention date since the arrest warrant was issued. The warrant of arrest was issued on May 26 when Raja Petra failed to turn up in court for the defamation trial.
It was no-show again by him for the mention on the warrant of arrest on July 2.
Mohd Hafiz told the court that in view of the fact that there were no immigration records showing the blogger had left the country, they still wanted to try to serve the warrant on him.
At this juncture, defence counsel J. Chandra and Amarjit Singh argued that since there was no explanation on the steps taken to locate Raja Petra, he should be granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal.
After a 45-minute stand down, investigating officer ACP Aziz Zakaria told the court that they had gone to Raja Petra’s given address in Sg Buloh and checked out the places he was known to frequent, but had not been able to trace him.
But when defence counsel asked him if he had contacted the Immigration Department to see if Raja Petra had left the country, Aziz said: “We used our own networking, but I did not contact the immigration department directly. I don’t know if he is overseas or not,” he replied.
Raja Petra, 59, was released on RM2,000 bail with one surety when he was first charged on July 17 last year with three counts of criminal defamation over a statutory declaration on the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
He is alleged to have defamed the wife of the prime minister, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Lt-Col Norhayati Hassan and her husband, Lt-Col Abdul Aziz Buyong, by making a libellous statement in the declaration.
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