By Suraini Andokong
RM60,000 fine for man over contraband cigarettes
KOTA KINABALU: A man was fined RM60,000 by the Magistrate's Court here yesterday for possessing 3,780 boxes of contraband cigarettes.
Magistrate Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim imposed the fine on Bakhtiar Khan, 47, after the latter retracted his plea of not guilty to one of guilty to a charge under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act.
The indictment carries a fine of not less than five times the value of the items and not more than RM20,000 or a maximum jail term of three years,or both,upon conviction.
Counsel Erveana Ansari,who represented the accused,told the court that her client wished to change his plea yesterday and so far the case had gone for trial with one witness called to testify.
The accused was arrested for having the RM5,359.60 worth of cigarettes at a rented house at Taman Kuala Menggatal in Manggatal on January 21. KUALA LUMPUR: The decision on the leave applications by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah for a judicial review their bid to challenge the appointment of former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in their cases, will be known tomorrow (20 Feb).
Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, acting for the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), said High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Datuk Azizah Nawawi had also fixed the same date for a decision on the AGC's preliminary objection against the judicial review application.
Shamsul said Justice Azizah set the date in her chambers after hearing submissions from the parties involved.
Shamsul said his side had argued that there was overlap in
In pleading for leniency, the accused's counsel Erveana, submitted that her client was remorseful with what he had done and he wanted to be immediately sent back to his village as his father is sick.
In reply, Customs Department prosecuting officer Nanang AK Lumpat urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence on the accused. both applications following both applicants (Najib and Muhammad Shafee) filing similar applications at the Criminal High Court.
“Hence, we argued that the two applications should be heard at the Criminal High Court as both cited the same grounds,” he said.
Meanwhile, lawyer Harvinderjit Singh, representing Muhammad Shafee, said the two applications were different because at the Civil Court, the issue was whether the appointment of Sri Ram by the AGC as Senior Deputy Public Prosecutor was legitimate and made on proper and reasonable grounds.
“Meanwhile, at the High Court, it involves an application for an order to recuse or disqualify Sri Ram from leading and handling the cases,” he said.
Najib and Muhammad Shafee, as the applicants, had filed the judicial review applications separately in December last year, naming the AttorneyGeneral/Public
During a previous hearing on November 8, 2018, the prosecution told the court that the accused was supposed to enter his plea on the said charge on October 15, 2018.
However, the accused did not turn up for the court hearing.
He was arrested on November 7, 2018 at Jalan Sulaman and immediately brought to court to face the charge.
Decision tomorrow on Najib's bid to challenge Sri Ram's appointment
Prosecutor as the first respondent while the Government of Malaysia and Sri Ram the second and third respondents.
In both applications, they sought for an order to disqualify the decision by the first respondent who did not submit to them a copy of the third respondent's appointment letter (Sri Ram) to lead the prosecution team, claiming that it was a violation of Section 376 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
They also wanted a court order to revoke or recuse the appointment of Sri Ram citing that the letter of appointment was invalid, as well as sought a declaration that there was a conflict of interest in the appointment.
They also requested for an order to prohibit Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in all their cases, including on corruption, abuse of power and money laundering. - Bernama