Testifying in the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, former police constable Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris denied that he is the infamous pro-Umno blogger ‘Papagomo’.

This was despite another blogger Mohd Fauzi Mohd Azmi - who goes by the handle ‘Perisik Rakyat - having earlier testified that Wan Muhammad Azri is indeed ‘Papagomo’.

Mohd Fauzi was the first witness in the hearing of a RM100 million defamation suit filed by opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim against Wan Muhammad Azri (right in photo).

The suit is in relation to a blog-post implicating Anwar in a sex scandal on the www.papagomo.com website last March.

Mohd Fauzi claimed that he had called or texted ‘Papagomo’ several times and had once met him at a bloggers convention in Subang Jaya.

"I attended the Bloggers United Malaysia conference on May 16, 2009, where I met him and other bloggers. I know it is him from the text-messages and phone calls I made."

Mohd Fauzi said he had photographed Wan Muhammad Azri, 31, at the convention. The photos were tendered as evidence.

The Perisik Rakyat blogger had earlier testified in another trial at the KL High Court where the court found Wan Muhammad Azri is Papagomo and ordered the Umno-linked blogger to pay a sum of RM500,000 over a defamation suit filed by businessman Abdul Razak Mohd Noor.

However, the judgment by that court cannot be used or adopted in another court when in a trial as he, Wan Muhammad Azri, is appealing that decision. Since then Mohd Fauzi had testified in two other cases against Wan Muhammad Azri at the Kota Baru High Court.

No knowledge of article or images

Wan Muhammad Azri, who is the chief executive officer and editor of KL Pos Media and Productions Sdn Bhd, was the first defence witness quizzed by his lawyer Jasbeer Singh, where he denied that he was Papagomo.

He said he only knew that Anwar was suing him for allegedly spreading images from a blog called Papagomo.

“However I do not have knowledge on the articles and images. I only know of the statement written in the blog and its images after Anwar filed the suit against me,” said Wan Muhammad Azri.

Wan Muhammad Azri also said that at present he also runs a blog called Malayrights.blogspot.com which he has run since July 2013.

Wearing a T-shirt with the words ‘Keep calm and love Japan’, to a question from lawyer N Surendran for Anwar, he denied that he had any animosity with the opposition leader.

“I also deny that I have any malicious intent on the plaintiff (Anwar).”

Wan Muhammad Azri however agreed with Surendran that he had posed for photographs with BN leaders like Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Hishammuddin Hussein, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and also Nazri Aziz.

“Being a media practitioner, I know many people including (PAS vice-president) Sallehuddin Ayub,” he said.

Wan Muhammad Azri also denied receiving a letter of demand from Anwar’s lawyers at his home address in Setapak, as he said he had moved to Penang.

He said his brother is also staying at the address stated in the letter but he did not receive any such document.

“He also did not receive any letter from the lawyers on this,” said Wan Muhammad Azri.

Despite the denial, the letter was uploaded on the Papagomo website and along with a threat to Anwar to withdraw it or more lewd pictures would come out.

Wan Muhammad Azri also agreed to questions from counsel Latheefa Koya, for Anwar, that he had once worked as a traffic policeman.

‘I could have had bigger majority’

Anwar, in his testimony today, said what was written in Papagomo had offended him, and tarnished his reputation and that of his wife and family.

He denied that he was the person in the images but knows the article was written about him because the words in it referred directly to him and his family.

“It tarnishes my reputation as a leader who does not have morals and that I am not suitable to be a leader. Specifically it created a bad perception amongst Malaysians, the majority whom are Muslims, against me. Such things are deemed taboo especially in Malay society,” he said.

“The defendant had inflicted maximum damage on my reputation as a politician and also the opposition parties. The defendant (Wan Muhammad Azri) is close to Umno leaders as he once was allowed by then-defence minister Ahmad Zahid, to board the Scorpene submarine,” he said in replying to questions from Surendran.

On cross-examination by Jasbeer that the article had no impact on his career, Anwar replied it had, although he obtained victory in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

“My majority could have been even bigger if the article did not come out. I am thankful that the voters do not agree with the slander,” said Anwar.

Anwar said he knew Wan Muhammad Azri was the owner of Papagomo website because when he sent the letter of demand with Wan Muhammad Azri's name on it, the Papagomo website put it up and threatened him (Anwar) to withdraw the suit.

“I have instructed my lawyer to find an independent witness who can identify Wan Muhammad Azri and Papagomo,” he said. This led to Mohd Fauzi being called today as Anwar's defence witness.

The case continues tomorrow before Judicial Commissioner Rosilah Yop.

Anwar named Wan Muhammad Azri as the sole defendant for publishing defamatory articles and images on March 16 and 17 last year, several months before the pivotal 13th general election.