4 theSun | TUESDAY MAY 26 2009

news without borders

Businessman told
to enter defence
in firearms case
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court yesterday
overturned a decision by the session’s court
in discharging and acquitting a businessman
charged with unlawful possession of a pistol
and bullets two years ago.
Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah
ordered Tajul Arus Abdul Aziz, 43, to enter
his defence on the two charges after ruling
that there was a prima facie case against the
accused.
He said that the session’s court judge
had erred in ruling that the accused had no
knowledge of the existence of the pistol and
bullets in the car he was in.
Mohamad Zabidin, however, upheld the
two-year jail sentence against Tajul Arus for
impersonating a police officer after reject-
ing the prosecution’s appeal against the
sentence.
On April 30, 2007 the session’s court dis-
charged and acquitted Tajul Arus on charges
of possessing a pistol and bullets.
On May 6 the same year, the same court
ordered Tajul Arus to serve his two-year jail
sentence.
Tajul Arus was charged with unlawful
possession of a 85 CAl 9 Luger pistol at the
intersection towards Tasik Perdana and Jalan
Parlimen here on Sept 12, 2005 at about
3.45am.
He was also charged with unlawful pos-
session of 15 bullets, namely seven WCC 8-81
9mm and eight HP 9 mm live bullets, at the
same place and time.
He was also charged with impersonating
a police officer with the rank of assistant
superintendent from the Bukit Aman Special
Branch at the same place and time.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to all
charges. Deputy Public Prosecutor Yaacub
Chik prosecuted while Harjinder Singh Sandhu
represented the accused. – Bernama
Lawyer sues Bar Council
for RM160m
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer has filed
a RM160 million suit against the Bar
Council in the High Court here for deny-
ing his request to use the Bar Council
auditorium for the launch of his second
book Presumed Guilty.
“I am asking for a declaration from the
High Court that the decision not to allow
me to launch my book at the auditorium
was unreasonable. It is unconstitutional
and a violation of my rights under Article
8 of the Federal Constitution,” said lawyer
T. Vijayandran.
“I have put in a claim for RM160
million in general damages to show the
extent of my resentment to the attitude
of the Bar Council in trying to suppress
my efforts in coming out with a simple
book about my experiences as a lawyer,”
Vijayandran said after filing his suit at the
court here yesterday.
“I am an advocate, and every year I
pay thousands of dollars to get my prac-
ticing certificate, and part of the money is
for the building fund of the Bar Council,
and this is used to acquire property, such
as the auditorium and facilities of the Bar
Council.
“All lawyers have a right to the facili-
ties, so they cannot discriminate as other
lawyers have used the auditorium,” he
said.
Vijayandran claimed the
Bar Council had blocked
him from using the audi-
torium as they were inves-
tigating him over his first
book, No Intention To Kill,
about a murder case in the
Shah Alam High Court in
2001, which was published
last year.
Vijayandran said when
he asked the Bar Council
why it would not let him
launch his book at the
auditorium, it replied, “it
was because they were
investigating him for his
last book.”
“They are investigating
whether I breached the Le-
gal Profession Rules for pub- has said that this book is another com- Vijayandran
licity. I do not know why they are inves- mendable piece and a fine example for posing with
tigating this book when the Bar Council others to follow. Despite having seen this, his books
sold the book and earned a commission they still do not allow me to launch my during
from it last year,” said Vijayandran. book,” said Vijayandran. the press
“There is nothing wrong with the first “I have been a practitioner for the conference.
book. I am sure they know about it as last two decades, and despite my efforts
they would have started the investigation to share my knowledge with younger
last year before they even started selling people, the Bar Council has refused to let
the book,” he said, adding he had earlier me launch this book, and they are sup-
given notice to the that he would fight for pressing it,” said Vijayandran.
his right to launch his second book. “The Bar Council should be encour-
“I gave them a notice of demand on aging lawyers to write books, and share
May 15, and I showed them a forward their knowledge with younger practition-
from the Chief Justice of Malaysia, who ers,” he added.

Bumiputra Commerce Bank cheque for

RM3,943.80 to him. – Bernama

briefs ‘Post mortem shows

Brokers plead not guilty to
cheating lawyer
KUALA LUMPUR: Two brokers pleaded not
guilty in the sessions court here yesterday to
a charge of cheating a lawyer of RM150,000,
last year.
M. Subhasathamoorthy, 40, and S. Rama-
naya, 43, were jointly charged with deceiving
Fadzila Said, 37, into believing that they could
arrange a financial facility from Wachovia Bank.
This caused Fadzila to hand over RM150,000
to them, although the accused knew such a
facility did not exist.
The duo are alleged to have committed the
offence at the law firm of Fadzila Said & Co at
No 80-2 Jalan 1/76 Desa Pandan, Cheras, on
June 11 2008. They are charged under Section
420 of the Penal Code and can be jailed up to
10 years and fined and whipped, if convicted.
Judge S. M Komathy Suppiah set bail at
RM20,000 in one surety each and ordered
them to deposit RM10,000 a piece to ensure
their attendance in court. She set June 25 for
mention. – Bernama
Salesman charged with
possessing fake notes
KUALA LUMPUR: A car salesman pleaded
not guilty in the sessions court here
yesterday to being in possession of fake
insurance cover notes and deceiving a
customer into buying such a cover note,
five years ago.
Ahmad Fuad Mohd Jafri, 43, was
charged with being in possession of fake
Tahan Insurance Malaysia Berhad cover
notes in the name of Rashidy Kamuni at
the Kampung Pandan sports complex car
park at 5.45pm on July 1, 2004.
For this, he was charged under Section
474 of the Penal Code, which provides for
jail up to 20 years and fine, if convicted.
He is also charged with deceiving a
housewife, Badrus Shahila Sharif, into
believing the Tahan Insurance Malaysia
Berhad cover notes he was selling were
genuine which caused her to issue a
violence inflicted on maid’
KUALA LUMPUR: A post mortem conducted
on an Indonesian maid found dead in her em-
ployer’s house in Petaling Jaya last Saturday
revealed that violence had been inflicted on
her, police said yesterday.
Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Arju-
naidi Mohamed said he was informed of the
post mortem report on Sunday but did not say
the form of violence inflicted on the maid.
“We will investigate the case under Section
302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said.
The maid, aged 20, was found dead with
bruises on her body in a terraced house in
Section 17/26, Petaling Jaya.
A 31-year-old man and his 20-year-old
sister are in remand until Thursday to assist
in police investigations. – Bernama
Accessories shop owner
dies in crash
ALOR STAR: A car accessories shop owner
was killed after his car plunged into a ca-
nal at Km35 Jalan Alor Star-Butterworth
here early yesterday.
Police said Kim Lin Chai, 31, from Yan
was driving at 1.30am when the accident
occurred. Kim was on his way to visit his
wife who just delivered their child at Sultan
Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani.
DJ high on drugs detained
KUALA LUMPUR: A 24-year-old nightclub DJ
suspected of being involved in peddling drugs
at night spots in the city was nabbed by police
while still “high” at his home in Jalan Gelugor
here on Friday.
City Anti-Narcotics chief ACP Kang Chez
Chiang said police also seized 700 Eremin 5
pills and 237.4 grammes of ketamine found in
his home in the 9pm raid.
“The drugs having an estimated value of
RM12,400 were hidden in tissue boxes in the
suspect’s bedroom,” said Kang, adding that
the suspect only sold the drugs to people he
knew and in small amounts.
He said the suspect had been selling drugs
about a year now and was assisted by his
housemate, who is in his 20s. – Bernama