Lawyer files RM50m suit against MACC, government

A senior lawyer, Rosli Dahlan, has filed a RM50 million defamation suit against 17 parties including senior officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) and the government over his arrest and being charged for failure to disclose information on his assets.

The suit was filed at the High Court civil registry yesterday. He also named the owner and publisher of Utusan Malaysia Bhd as a defendant, followed by its editors Mohd Zaini Hassan and Abdul Rahim Lajis.

Among the MACC officers named as defendants were its deputy director-general Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed and deputy director of investigations and prosecution Anthony Kevin Morais.

In his affidavit, Rosli claimed he was wrongfully arrested by the MACC despite the fact that the agency was aware that investigations on his client, former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Datuk Ramli Yusuff, were ongoing at the material time.

He further alleged that a search about his financial position carried out by a Bank Negara officer under the Anti-Money Laundering Act was also improper. The lawyer claimed that the MACC (formerly the Anti-Corruption Agency) opted to prosecute him despite his offer under oath to provide the details asked for in its notices to him.

Rosli said that on Oct 10, 2007 a team from the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) visited his law firm, where he was arrested and manhandled by the officers before his staff. He said the incident had humiliated and embarrassed him where he was handcuffed so tightly that he suffered lacerations and swelling on his wrists.

He also alleged that Utusan Malaysia had on Oct 12, 2007, the eve of Aidilfitri, run an article that was defamatory to him. The respondents from the daily made an apology and their unqualified public applogy was published in the daily on April 14, 2008.

Rosli is seeking RM20 million in general damages and another RM30 million in exemplary and aggravated damages. His criminal case was fixed for hearing for three days from Dec 21