Magistrates say no to Jamal’s bid to skip court
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ampang magistrate’s court here dismissed two applications by Sungai Besar Umno chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos to exempt himself from appearing in court during the next hearing on the four charges against him.
Jamal, 48, through his lawyer, Datuk Mohd Imran Tamrin, submitted the applications to magistrate Mohamad Firdaus Sadina Ali and Haslinda A. Raof.
“On what grounds is the accused unable to attend? If the accused cannot be present, write an official letter. Why is he not able to attend proceedings? All accused are required to be present, except for certain reasons,” said Firdaus.
At Haslinda’s courtroom, Jamal, who was in the dock, told the court that he and five others charged with him had to work.
“You have to attend. The purpose of bail is to ensure the presence of the accused, even if they have lawyers representing them,” Haslinda said.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutors Norhashimah Hashim and Raihanah Abd Razak had told the court that documents on the cases were not ready to be submitted to the defence.
Both courts set Nov 13 for mention.
In the court before Firdaus, Jamal faced three charges for allegedly trespassing on Kedai Starcom Trading and Services in Taman Kosas, Ampang, here, at 3.30pm on Dec 29, 2016.
For the second charge, Jamal was alleged to have fled from custody after being charged with three criminal offences at KPJ Ampang Puteri Hospital here between 2pm and 3pm on May 25.
The third charge was under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act for leaving Malaysia through unauthorised routes on May 25.
In the court before Haslinda, Jamal was jointly charged with five men with trespassing on a family entertainment centre in Taman Kosas, Ampang, on Dec 29, 2016.