" PERKEMBANGAN POSITIF KES SAMAN SARAWAK REPORT DI LONDON " : SU POLITIK PRESIDEN PAS

KENYATAAN MEDIA

5 Ogos 2017

“PERKEMBANGAN POSITIF KES SAMAN SARAWAK REPORT DI LONDON”

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Pada Rabu 2 Ogos 2017, pasukan peguam dari firma Carter-Ruck dan barrister Jacob Dean, yang mewakili Dato' Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang (TGHA) dalam saman fitnah yang diambil terhadap Clare Rewcastle Brown (CRB), di London Courts, telah menghadiri prosiding mahkamah untuk pendengaran prosiding pengurusan kes.

Saman sivil oleh TGHA itu adalah berkaitan dengan artikel yang ditulis oleh CRB pada Ogos 2016, yang memberi gambaran tuduhan dan difahami dengan jelas adalah satu fitnah, melalui tuduhan bahawa TGHA menerima rasuah dari Perdana Menteri Malaysia Dato' Seri Najib dengan nilaiannya RM 90 juta.

Pendengaran pengurusan kes pada hari berkenaan adalah untuk menentukan usaha CRB bagi memaksa TGHA untuk mendepositkan sejumlah wang di mahkamah sebagai jaminan keselamatan, sekiranya TGHA kalah dalam kes berkenaan dan terpaksa membayar  kos guaman CRB, di mana CRB menjangkanya dalam lingkungan jumlah keseluruhan £800,000 pound (hampir RM4.5 juta) sehingga kes tamat.

Panel peguam TGHA dari Carter-Ruck berjaya berhujah, dengan dibantu oleh pandangan pakar undang-undang dari Malaysia, bahawa sebenarnya wujud undang-undang yang jelas yang tidak menghalang CRB untuk menuntut kos beliau menerusi mahkamah Malaysia sekiranya beliau menang kes saman ini dan jumlahnya tidak melebihi RM80,000 sahaja. Di atas keyakinan dari awal terhadap kes ini, maka TGHA bersetuju dengan deposit keselamatan dengan jumlah ini yang nyata adalah memadai serta tidak kontroversi.

Hujah CRB bahawa beliau akan gagal membawa kes saman terhadap TGHA di Malaysia adalah kerana Badan Kehakiman, Kerajaan Malaysia dan Perdana Menteri adalah mengamalkan rasuah dan bersekongkol dengan TGHA telah ditolak oleh mahkamah di London. Mahkamah juga mendapati bahawa tuduhan serius ini tidak disokong bukti oleh CRB walaupun beliau mempunyai masa berbulan-bulan untuk berbuat demikian.

Mahkamah juga tidak menerima hujahan CRB tanpa membawa bukti, bahawa sebuah negara luar berdaulat yang mempunyai hubungan diplomatik yang baik dengan United Kingdom telah mengamalkan rasuah.

Mahkamah juga telah menerima tawaran TGHA untuk meletakkan wang sebanyak RM80,000 sebagai deposit keselamatan.

Hasil dari hujah kosong dalam permohonan CRB, mahkamah juga telah mengarahkan beliau membayar 2/3 (dua pertiga) dari kos yang terlibat. CRB mesti membayar £15,000 ( hampir RM84,000) terhadap kos prosiding oleh TGHA, di mana kuantum pembayarannya akan di pantau oleh mahkamah.

Mahkamah juga mengarahkan CRB untuk membuat pembelaan beliau dalam tempoh 21 hari supaya kes ini dapat diteruskan dan beliau tidak lagi berlarutan untuk berdolak dalih.

Permohonan rayuan CRB terhadap keputusan ini juga telah tidak dbenarkan oleh mahkamah.

Perkembangan ini adalah sangat positif, dalam proses TGHA untuk membersihkan nama beliau terhadap tuduhan fitnah melampau oleh CRB dan artikelnya dalam Sarawak Report.

TGHA mengucapkan tahniah dan penghargaan kepada Mr Adam Tudor dan pasukan peguamnya dari Carter-Ruck, London dan di Malaysia.

TGHA juga mengucapkan jutaan terima kasih pada semua ahli PAS dan orang awam  yang berterusan memberikan sokongan melalui berbagai cara dalam kes ini.

TGHA juga sebenarnya dimaklumkan oleh firma Carter-Ruck bahawa Pejabat Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Malaysia di London juga menghantar wakil dalam prosiding ini, dan telah memaklumkan bahawa kehadiran mereka adalah sebagai pemerhati prosiding kerana banyak tuduhan politik yang dibuat terhadap Perdana Menteri dan Kerajaan Malaysia serta Badan Kehakiman di Malaysia  oleh CRB dalam dokumen  beliau yang dikemukakan ke mahkamah.

DR AHMAD SAMSURI MOKHTAR
Setiausaha Politik Presiden PAS

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MEDIA STATEMENT

5th August 2017

"CIVIL SUIT AGAINST CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN (SARAWAK REPORT)"

On 2nd August 2017, the lawyers from the legal firm of Carter-Ruck and barrister Jacob Dean, who are representing Dato Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang (TGHA) for the civil suit that he brought against Clare Rewcastle Brown (CRB), in the London Courts, attended court in London for the Case Management hearing.

The civil suit was in relation to an article she wrote in August 2016, which would clearly have been understood to allege, falsely, that TGHA had received bribes from Prime Minister Najib to the tune of RM90 million.

This case management hearing was to determine an attempt by CRB to force TGHA to deposit money with the court as security, in the event he was to lose the case and would have to pay CRB’s legal costs, which she estimates to be around £800,000 (or close to RM5 million) in total for the whole hearing till completion.

Carter-Ruck successfully argued, assisted by a legal opinion from a law expert in Malaysia, that there exist well-established laws between the UK and Malaysia that allows for CRB to claim the costs through the law courts in Malaysia, incurring a cost of not more than RM80,000.  Based on his confidence on the case from the beginning, TGHA had already offered to deposit this amount with the court, which was sufficient and uncontroversial.

CRB’s arguments that she cannot successfully bring a legal suit against TGHA in Malaysia as the judiciary, government and the Prime Minister are corrupted and are complicit with him was rejected by the court.  As the court observed, these serious allegations were not supported by any evidence from CRB whatsoever, despite having months to provide some.

The Court made very clear that, absent with any evidence, the court cannot accept that another sovereign state that has good ties and relationship with the UK is corrupt.

The court accepted the offer by TGHA to pay the RM80,000 deposit.

In recognition of the flawed basis of her application, CRB was ordered to pay TGHA two thirds of his costs of the exercise.  She has to pay £15,000 to TGHA now, with the quantum of the balance to be assessed by the Court in due course.

The court also ordered CRB to submit her defence into court within 21 days so that TGHA can proceed with this case and she cannot continue to prevaricate.

A request to appeal this judgment by CRB’s lawyers was disallowed by the court.

This is a very positive development for TGHA in his bid to clear his name of the allegations by CRB and Sarawak Report in their article.

TGHA would like to extend his congratulations, gratitude and appreciation to Adam Tudor and his legal team at Carter-Ruck, London and in Malaysia.

TGHA also would like to extend his gratitude to members of PAS and the members of public who have been supporting him in this very difficult case.

TGHA was also informed by Carter-Ruck that the Malaysian High Commission in London sent representatives to attend, who informed Carter-Ruck that they are there to observe the proceedings as many political allegations were made against the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the government of Malaysia and the judiciary in Malaysia by CRB in documents that she is filing into court.

DR AHMAD SAMSURI MOKHTAR
PAS President's Political Secretary