Two court cases against Uthaya in one day

The High Court today dismissed lawyer P Uthayakumar's application to transfer his sedition trial from the Sessions Court to the High Court.

Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said Uthayakumar's main argument that the case involved complicated issues in law held no merit.

He said Sessions Court judges had all the qualification and experience to handle the case.

"Furthermore, the applicant can appeal to or file for revision at the High Court on the lower court's decision later," he added.

Mohamad Zabidin said the court also disagreed with Uthayakumar's counsel N Surendran that words like "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide" in the charge itself should be interpreted as issues involving complicated matters.

Uthayakumar, 48, had claimed trial in the Sessions Court to posting on a website a letter with seditious tendency, dated Nov 15, 2007, which was addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at No 10, Downing Street, London.

He is charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act which carries a maximum RM5,000 fine or three years jail, or both, on conviction.

The sedition trial before Sessions Court judge Sabariah Othman is set for Nov 4.

'Threatened at gunpoint'

Meanwhile, in another court case, the Attorney-General’s Chambers has withdrew its appeal against a court decision which declared the arrest of Uthayakumar in 2004 as unlawful.

Uthayakumar was arrested after he lodged a report against the police following an incident where he was allegedly threatened at gunpoint five years ago.

High Court judge Abdul Kadir Musa had subsequently held that the arrest was unlawful and the arrest warrant was set aside.

Following this, the AG Chamber’s filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The case was to come up for hearing today before justices Suriyadi Halim Omar, Ahmad Maarop and Hassan Lah, but the appellate court was told by the deputy public prosecutor that the AG’s Chambers had withdrawn its appeal.

In an immediate reaction, Human Rights Party information chief S Jayathas demanded for the ‘gun-pointing’ police be punished.