KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The High Court today issued a show-cause notice on Umno politician Datuk Lokman Adam for his alleged contempt towards a policeman in the courtroom during the hearing of Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's corruption trial.
Lead prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran related the incident to High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah this morning and called for Lokman to be cited for contempt.
"Before I begin, I was informed by the court police, Lance-Corporal Walter that during proceedings this morning, he checked on one of the audience in the gallery and asked that person to stop playing with his handphone. And that person then retaliated and called him stupid, that person has been identified as Lokman Adam.
“That kind of behaviour, rude and insolent behaviour of a member of the public should not be tolerated, I move this court to cite him for contempt,” she said, following a break in court proceedings and just before she was to resume cross-examination of Ahmad Zahid.
The judge issued the show-cause notice on Lokman after confirming he was present in the courtroom and ordered the latter to explain why he should not be immediately cited for contempt of court.
“What do you have to say about abusing the policeman? I’m issuing you a show cause notice on why you shouldn’t be cited for contempt of court. Do you wish to engage a lawyer?” the judge asked.
Lokman tried to explain that he saw someone else allegedly taking notes using a laptop and asked why taking notes using a handphone is not allowed, insisting that he had taken notes on his handphone.
The judge then pointed out that Lokman was accused of verbally abusing a police officer and again asked if he wanted to hire a lawyer to defend him.
Raja Rozela also said the High Court could proceed with hearing the contempt of court case immediately, saying: “Because I think we should do it instantly, we don’t want him to run away, My Lord. He has quite rudely said that even this law is stupid, that is another reason for contempt, he said it out loud in front of Your Lordship.”
She suggested that the contempt case could even be heard this afternoon or tomorrow.
As Lokman chose to engage a lawyer to defend him, the judge scheduled next Monday morning to hear his case.
“But all the same, the court views seriously this conduct,” the judge said, asking Lokman to appear in court with his lawyer at 9.30am next Monday.
The judge had said the show cause on why Lokman should not be cited for contempt was on two counts, namely for abusing a public servant in the course of his duty and that he had “even called the whole system unfair” in the court proceedings on the show cause.
This is not the first time that Lokman has found himself having to defend against allegations of having committed contempt of court.
Previously on July 15, 2021, High Court judge Sequerah found Lokman guilty of contempt of court due to his actions in September 2019 that amounted to threatening a prosecution witness in former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s trial involving the misappropriation of over RM2 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) funds.
Sequerah, who is the judge hearing Najib’s separate trial, had at that time sentenced Lokman to one-month jail over the contempt of court committed, but had also allowed the sentence to be stayed pending Lokman’s appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Lokman was a member of Umno’s supreme council, but was in February 2020 expelled and sacked by the party.
In September 2021, Umno decided to allow Lokman to join the party again, but only accepted him as an ordinary party member.
