KUALA LUMPUR: Senior lawyer Rosli Dahlan walked out of the Sessions Court here without his defence being called after the court ruled that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) failed to establish a prima facie case against him over a charge of failure to comply with a notice to disclose full information on his assets.
FREE: Rosli and his wife leaving the court house. — Bernama photo
Judge Abu Bakar Katar ruled that the notice signed by MACC’s Senior Deputy Public Prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais had failed to disclose that the lawyer was an associate of former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime director Datuk Ramli Yusof.
He also ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove that Rosli intentionally failed to respond to the notice issued by Morais.
“Morais also failed to prove that he has basis in issuing the notice,” Abu Bakar said.
On Oct 12, Rosli, 46, was charged with failing to declare his assets in two months as required under a notice dated July 17, which was later extended to Aug 16, an offence punishable under Section 32 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997.
The section provides for a jail term of a minimum 14 days and a maximum 20 years and a fine of not more than RM100,000, upon conviction.
Rosli, a partner in an established law firm and a close friend of Ramli, had told the court on the day the charge was read out to him on Oct 12, 2007 that the timing to charge him on the eve of Aidilfitri was calculated to humiliate him.
Yesterday, he told reporters: “I waited three long years to be vindicated.” MACC’s Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulqarnain Hassan said he would appeal against the decision.
Rosli was represented by Datuk M Kumaraendran and Chetan Jethwani.
On March 12 last year, Ramli was acquitted by the Sessions Court of three counts of failing to disclose information on the ownership of 20,000 Telekom Malaysia Berhad shares, 154,000 Permaju Industries Berhad shares and two office lots in the city worth RM1,032,840.
On July 27, 2008, the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court freed him of a charge of abusing his powers in 2007, for allegedly using a police Cessna plane for his private use.
Ramli was present in court yesterday. — Bernama