The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court fixed a three-day hearing beginning June 24, for the trial of 45 people charged with illegal assembly during the Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) gathering held at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre in January last year.

protes demo court case 230309 Judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat also agreed to issue warrants of arrest on three of the accused who failed to attend today's proceedings.

They were V Pannerselvam, Kamaruddin Tahir and Khairul Nizam Edimun.

Judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat fixed the date after he allowed an application from defence counsel representing the 45, that they just obtained the necessary documents from the prosecution on Friday and today.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran told the court the prosecution had difficulty in locating the lawyers representing the accused.

Peaceful protest against fuel price hike

Among the 45 accused are PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu, its treasurer Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, PAS MP for Kuala Selangor Dzulkifli Ahmad, PKR information chief Tian Chua, and PKR deputy secretary-general Jonson Chong.

Others included Socialist Party Malaysia president and Kota Damansara assemblyperson Nasir Hashim and its secretary-general S Arutchelvan. Malaysiakini journalist, Syed Jaymal Zahiid, were also among the 45 charged.

They were mainly charged with illegal assembly for gathering at KLCC on January 26, 2008.

Syed Jaymal, however, had a different charge as he was alleged to have obstructed chief inspector Effendi Abdul Rahman from performing his duty when he questioned the police officer on the arrests of the protesters.

Dr Hatta, who was Protes secretary said the coalition had no intention to apply for a police permit for its peaceful assembly against the fuel price hike in front of the KLCC on that Saturday.

Protes was initially formed to protest the hike in fuel prices in 2006. The following year, the coalition focused on toll charges .