PUTRAJAYA, March 5 — The Court of Appeal here today granted former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam a stay of the committal proceeding hearing scheduled next week at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur pending the disposal of an appeal in the Appeals Court.

A three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Hanipah Farikullah granted the application for stay of the committal proceedings applied by Lokman’s counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar appearing for former Attorney General (AG) Tan Sri Tommy Thomas did not object to the stay application.

Justice Yaacob, who chaired the bench, also set March 31 for the hearing of Lokman’s appeal to set aside a leave obtained by Thomas to initiate committal proceedings against him.

The judge (Justice Yaacob) said they preferred to hear the submission of both parties all at one time.

Earlier, Muhammad Shafee suggested that he start his submissions on the introductory aspect of the case today and the matter to be adjourned to another date for the prosecution to make its submission.

He said he obtained the High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah’s grounds of judgment on March 2 and filed the petition of appeal, the following day.

Muhammad Shafee said a copy of the petition was extended to the prosecution on the same day, adding that he believed that they need time to reply. This was confirmed by Mohd Dusuki who then told the court that he needed time to reply but he did not object to Muhammad Shafee starting his submission today.

On January 14 this year, the High Court dismissed Lokman’s application to set aside the leave obtained by Thomas to initiate committal proceedings against him for allegedly intimidating a witness in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.

On October 22 last year, the High Court granted leave for the AG to initiate committal proceedings against Lokman for contempt of court acts perpetrated on two occasions on September 25, last year.

The High Court subsequently set March 13 to hear the committal proceedings.

In the application, the AG sought an order for Lokman to be committed to prison or be fined for his actions. — Bernama