KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday ordered actress Zahida Mohamed Rafik to pay RM150,000 in damages to her former personal driver after finding her liable of defaming him over her loss of RM200,000.
Judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng also ordered Zahida to pay RM40,000 in costs to Noor Azman Azemi and dismissed the actress’ counter claim for the return of RM200,000 which she had claimed was taken by the driver.
In a brief judgment, Hue said the court found that Zahida had failed to prove the balance of probability in the case and held that her words were defamatory.
She said Zahida’s defence of ancillary privilege and justification was not sustainable and the defendant’s witnesses who testified in court were also not credible. The court could not accept Zahida’s evidence on the existence of vouchers that had been fabricated, she added.
Noor Azman filed the lawsuit on Nov 27, 2013, claiming that the actress, who acted in Anak Mami The Movie, had wrongfully and with bad intention given defamatory statements in an article published in a Malay tabloid on March 3, 2012, over the loss of RM200,000.
He claimed that Zahida had allegedly accused him of running away with the money that was supposed to be deposited into her bank account.
He contended that the statements had portrayed him as not trustworthy, a thief and a criminal, gave him a bad reputation and jeopardising his chances of getting jobs.
Noor Azman was remanded by the police for four days after Zahida lodged a report against him on the loss. — Bernama