LTAT DROPS SUIT AGAINST RAFIZI

Filed in 2016 over statement on gratuity payment to army retirees

THE Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) has withdrawn its suit against Rafizi Ramli over his statements that the board had withheld gratuity payments to army retirees.

Judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim struck out the suit with no liberty to file afresh and ordered no costs.

Rafizi’s counsel, Saiful Izham Ramli, said lawyers Izzat Othman and Ahmad Syateer Izzat, who represented LTAT, were present during the proceedings yesterday.

The reason for the withdrawal was not disclosed.

On May 6, 2016, LTAT sued Rafizi, 41, for a statement he made on its gratuity payment to army retirees.

It alleged that the statement was intended to tarnish the board’s good image, integrity and reputation.

In its statement of claim, LTAT claimed that Rafizi posted a statement entitled “Bayaran gratuiti pesara angkatan tentera lewat; LTAT perlu dedahkan risiko kewangan akibat 1MDB” (Late gratuity payment to retired soldiers: LTAT should disclose financial risk due to 1MDB) on his blog and Facebook page on March 21, 2016.

It also claimed that Rafizi had on March 24, the same year, issued a statement that was posted on the Malaysiakini website titled “Rafizi: I have documents showing LTAT’s link to 1MDB”.

It further alleged that on March 28, the same year, Rafizi had posted a statement on his Facebook page titled “Laporan ketua audit negara ke atas 1MDB mengesahkan kesan masalah kewangan 1MDB ke atas LTAT” (Auditor General’s report on 1MDB confirms effects of 1MDB financial problem on LTAT).

The board claimed that Rafizi’s statements had indirectly, or by innuendo, accused it of not protecting the interests and welfare of retired soldiers, and that it did not have the funds to do so.

It was seeking general and exemplary damages, as well as an injunction to prevent Rafizi, his officers, agents or workers from publishing any defamatory statements against the board.