DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today blasted the criminal charge preferred against fellow party member and Selangor state exco Ronnie Liu as politically motivated.

Lim claimed the charge against Liu was the "the first of its kind".

"I was at the court this morning and met with the deputy public prosecutor (DPP), who was a senior officer. He told me this was a very serious case," he told reporters in Parliament today.

parliament dap pc on ronnie 171108 gorbind kit siang ronnie "The fact that they have assigned a senior DPP to (handle) this menial case reflects the kind of (political) weight they have placed on this case," Lim said.

Liu was today charged with abetment in obstructing a Subang Jaya Municipal Council enforcement officer in closing down a hotel last year.

He claimed trial and the case will be mentioned for hearing on Feb 10 next year.

Petaling Jaya magistrate Mohamad Ibrahim Mohammad Ghulam granted Liu a bail of RM3,500 in one surety.

the charge against ronnie liu 171108 The charge sheet said that Liu, along with several hotel customers and workers, had obstructed enforcement officer Mohamed Hadzlin Zulkepli in closing the hotel in Bandar Puchong Jaya, Selangor on Nov 2, 2007.

If found guilty, Liu stands to face a jail term up to two years or maximum fine of RM10,000 or both.

Liu was arrested by the police last Wednesday at the lobby of the Selangor State Secretariat building over this matter. He is the Pandamaran state assemblyperson and is in charge of local government, research and development committee in the state cabinet.

Reiterating that the charge was politically motivated, Lim alleged that the amount of time taken by the prosecutors to charge Liu was evident of the case being politically driven.

"If this is a very serious case as stated by the senior DPP, why leave the case more than one year unattended?" asked Lim.

AG's office incompetent

Another DAP MP Gobind Singh Deo similarly blasted the charge on Liu as politically motivated.

"The charge is very unique. This is the first time I've heard this charge. The charge sheet is so general that it did not mention the names of persons (which Liu was allegedly abetting with in obstructing the officer).

"This clearly reflects that the case is without merit, a desperate attempt by the authorities to exert pressure," said Gobind, who also acted as Liu's lawyer in the case.

parliament dap pc on ronnie 171108 Gobind also questioned the integrity of the AG's office in not appealing on the acquittal of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda from his charge of abetting in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

"Why have the prosecution decided not to appeal against his acquittal when they claimed they had enough evidence and were serious enough to have Abdul Razak remanded during the whole trial?" asked Gobind.

Saying that the matter was of national and international concerns, the Puchong MP urged the attorney general to give "concrete and explicit reasons as to why the prosecution had decided not to appeal".