Guan Eng’s statement on his case not contempt of court, says lawyer
Ramkarpal Singh said Lim Guan Eng’s comments did not touch on the integrity of the court proceedings or the judge hearing his case.
PETALING JAYA: The calls for DAP’s Lim Guan Eng to be cited for contempt of court over his remarks on the sidelines of his trial are baseless, says lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.
He said Lim had merely said there was no truth to the allegations against him and had left it to his lawyer to prove this during the trial.
“His comments do not touch on the integrity of the court proceedings, nor do they question the integrity of the judge hearing his case.
“Merely telling the public that one intends to clear his name through his lawyer in court cannot by any stretch of the imagination amount to such interference,” Ramkarpal, who is DAP legal bureau chief, said in a statement.
He said a contempt charge can be only proffered if one was found to have interfered with the administration of justice.
“The truth of the matter will emerge during the trial, particularly after the complainant has been cross-examined, but Lim should be allowed to maintain his innocence, which is consistent with his plea of not guilty right from the beginning of his trial,” he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that police reports were lodged urging the prosecutors to charge Lim and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Saddiq’s lawyer for making comments about their trials on criminal charges.
PETALING JAYA: The calls for DAP’s Lim Guan Eng to be cited for contempt of court over his remarks on the sidelines of his trial are baseless, says lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.
He said Lim had merely said there was no truth to the allegations against him and had left it to his lawyer to prove this during the trial.
“His comments do not touch on the integrity of the court proceedings, nor do they question the integrity of the judge hearing his case.
“Merely telling the public that one intends to clear his name through his lawyer in court cannot by any stretch of the imagination amount to such interference,” Ramkarpal, who is DAP legal bureau chief, said in a statement.
He said a contempt charge can be only proffered if one was found to have interfered with the administration of justice.
“The truth of the matter will emerge during the trial, particularly after the complainant has been cross-examined, but Lim should be allowed to maintain his innocence, which is consistent with his plea of not guilty right from the beginning of his trial,” he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that police reports were lodged urging the prosecutors to charge Lim and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Saddiq’s lawyer for making comments about their trials on criminal charges.
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