In a bid to silence lawyer Rosli Dahlan, the Attorney-General's Chambers today objected to him giving evidence on matters pertaining to the 'Copgate affair' involving attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan.

Rosli applied to Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Hue Siew Kheng, in chambers, to allow him to read his witness statement in open court, which the judge allowed.

However, Rosli's lawyer Chethan Jethwani said, senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad, representing the officers from the (then) Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and the government, objected to certain portions of Rosli's testimony.

Following this, Justice Hue fixed Dec 28 to hear submissions on the matter and ordered Azizan to file a formal application to expunge those portions before the application is heard on that day. The judge also fixed Jan 25 for to hear Rosli's testimony.

Azizan argued that third parties were named in the statement of the witness, which was why the AG's Chambers was objecting.

NONE It is learnt that the objection arose because Rosli's testimony would touch on the role of Musa and Gani ( right ) in Rosli's charge of not complying with the ACA's procedures to declare his assets, before the sessions court in 2007, on which he was acquitted without his defence called.

Rosli, 51, had named several officers in the ACA, the precursor to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, including present chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed and deputy head of prosecution Anthony Kevin Morais, as defendants in his RM50 million defamation suit.

He had also named Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia and its senior editor Mohd Zaini Hassan.

The lawyer, who had represented former Commercial Crime Investigations Department director Ramli Yusuff, in is seeking damages over defamatory statements made, the injury to his reputation, assault and false imprisonment.

Ramli, who was later charged by the ACA, was also acquitted of the five charges against him and the decision was further upheld by the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Yesterday, Justice Hue had called on the parties to try and settle the case and to take into account the decisions made by the other courts.

'Arrest of Goh an act of disloyalty'

Rosli in his writ described the acrimonious relationship between Ramli and Musa and how the IGP had used the ACA and the AG's Chambers to implicate him and Ramli following the arrest of an underworld kingpin, Goh Cheng Poh or 'Tengku Goh'.

Rosli said he acted for Ramli and the then deputy home minister Johari Baharom against Goh's habeas corpus application in 2007, after the AG's Chambers refused to draw up their affidavits.

NONE He said Musa ( left ) saw the arrest of Goh as disloyalty on the part of Ramli, resulting in the IGP initiating further ACA investigations against Ramli. This resulted in a strained relationship between Musa and Ramli and Johari.

Rosli further claimed that he earned the wrath of Musa and the attorney-general when he drew up the affidavits for Ramli and Johari, and this led to the ACA investigations against him and his subsequent arrest.

He said an ACA officer kicked his leg, twisted his arms and handcuffed him tightly, resulting in lacerations and swelling of his wrists.

He gave his statement at the ACA headquarters, but was held overnight and taken to court and charged on the eve of Hari Raya, on Oct 27, 2007. These were malicious actions out to tarnish his image, he added in his writ.