The defence team for human rights activist Lau Shu Shi is disputing the authencity of the 'evidence' that could supposedly prove she was guilty of 'disorderly conduct' at a police station.

NONELau, (right) a former Suaram coordinator, was on Aug 2 last year charged under section 90 of the 1967 Police Act, and is attending her trial for the fourth time in Penang today.

Her lawyer, V Parthipan, said the prosecution's evidence today was rather weak as the witness was unable to explain how the label on the envelope, which supposedly held the evidence, was different from the information stated in the liason section's form.

The evidence - a CCTV recording of the incident - which could nail Lau, was reportedly kept in the Shah Alam forensic department's liason section.

Parthipan also disputed the 'evidence' as the envelope was not sealed properly.

DPP Nur Farhana Hashim had tried to interrupt Parthipan when he continued to question the witness on the condition of the evidence, saying it was 'not relevant' but the latter was allowed his line of questioning.

Setting priorities Malaysian style

Magistrate Noor Aini Yusof presided over the case, which was at 12pm adjourned to June 23 and 24 because two other witnesses could not attend the trial today.

NONEMeanwhile, Parthipan (left) lamented that postponing and adjourning the case for the fourth time now was totally unfair to the defence and the accused.

He is also not happy that the prosecution was unable to produce its witnesses, even though they were aware of the on-going trial.

"It is unfair as my client, who is now working in Petaling Jaya, has to travel up and down to attend the case," he said.

"We can understand if one of the witnesses is sick, but the other who went to USA for training had known earlier about the case," he added.

According to Nur Farhana, one of the witnesses, Ameyruddin, will return to the country on June 9, after attending a training in the US, while Inspector Jamaluddin Hashim was recuperating at home from an illness.

Lau was charged when she accompanied a fellow human rights activist to lodge a police report at the headquarters in 2008.

That day, Lau had also attended a peaceful anti-ISA (Internal Security Act) rally along Gurney Drive, after which she and activist Teh Chun Hong were detained and held in remand overnight.

Two years later, Lau was charged in a magistrate's court in George Town and she pleaded not guilty.

On Oct 20 last year, the prosecution applied for a postponement, saying the AG's Chambers needed more time to review the case after receiving Suaram's memorandum calling for the withdrawal of the case.

At that juncture, the prosecution had also been unable to provide photos and video recordings of the alleged crime because the compact disc on which the data was recorded had been "corrupted" by a virus.

Lau's case was then put off to Dec 27 and 28, but owing to the procecution's inability to provide the CCTV evidence, the trial finally commenced on April 21 and 22.