KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will submit an application to set aside the leave obtained by the Attorney-General (AG) to initiate committal proceeding against him.
Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing Lim, told this to reporters when met after the matter came up for case management before High Court (Appellate and Special Powers Division) judge Datuk Hanipah Farikullah.
Today’s proceeding, held in chambers, was also attended by lawyer Tommy Thomas, also representing Lim, and senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, representing Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
Gobind Singh said he would also submit an application for the court to strike out the originating summons filed by the AG, and also for time to transcribe three digital video discs (DVD) on Lim’s press conference.
It was during the press conference that Lim was alleged to have said that his criminal charges, over a house purchase, were politically motivated.
“Two of the DVDs were submitted by the AG, while the other was given by Lim,” he said, adding that the court set Nov 25 for case management. Last Sept 21, the court granted leave for the AG to initiate committal proceeding against Lim.
The AG as the plaintiff had filed an ex-parte originating summons regarding the matter on Aug 18 and had named Lim as the defendant.
In it, the AG had sought leave for the committal proceeding to have Lim jailed for contempt-of-court for allegedly issuing statements in the print and/or social media which were detrimental to the administration of justice, lead to erosion of the people’s confidence in the judicial system and questioned the dignity and integrity of the courts.
The AG is also seeking costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
He said the action was taken in his capacity as the custodian of public interest and to ensure the sanctity and integrity of the judiciary and the justice system in the country was always protected and not criticised, shamed and insulted according to one’s whims and fancies.
He added that contempt-of-court should be frowned upon failing which doubts could arise on the administration of justice in the country.
According to the AG, the statements made by Lim at press conference after the launching of the ”Dr Wu Lian Teh Symposium” by the Penang Institute in Jalan Brown, George Town, Penang, that the corruption charges against the Bagan MP were a conspiracy and that he (Lim) would be jailed, could be clearly interpreted as the courts were also being roped in on “trumped up corruption charges”.
On June 30, Lim pleaded not guilty at the Penang High Court to corruption charges relating to the changing of status of a parcel of land from agricultural zone to housing development zone and purchase of a house at below market price. — Bernama
