The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya, today allowed a stay of proceedings pending appeal in the RM50 million suit filed by lawyer Rosli Dahlan against the Anti Corruption Agency, Utusan Malaysia and the government.

NONEThe three- member panel headed by Justice Ramly Ali unanimously allowed Rosli's(right) application for a stay of Kuala Lumpur High Court Justice Hue Siew Kheng's Jan 3 order, which among others had allowed the expunging of six questions on the grounds that they were "riddled with hearsay".

Justice Hue also had not granted a stay of the proceedings.

The appellate court had allowed the stay of the hearing which was also scheduled for today.

The other two members of the panel were Justice Anantham Kasinater and Justice David Wong Dak Wah.

Lawyer Nitin Nadkarni acted for Rosli, while Mohan Kumar appeared for Utusan Malaysia and senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad represented the ACA and the government.

It had been reported previously that the Attorney General Chambers representing the ACA and government had objected to the six questions being admitted and that Rosli be allowed to testify orally.

The six questions are eight, 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118 out of a total of 127 believed to be related to what is now known as the controversial "Copgate affair".

Rosli, was charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, with non-compliance of the agency's procedures in declaring his assets.

However, the court had acquitted him without calling for his defence. The prosecution had later withdrawn its appeal against the acquittal late last year.