Judgment day sees Rahim Noor frail, thin
Former police chief Rahim Noor looked frail and thin when he attended his High Court appeal hearing today.
He remained seated and showed no signs of emotion when Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin read out the judgment, upholding the two months' jail sentence imposed on him for assaulting former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody.
Rahim was sentenced by the Sessions Court on March 15 to two months' imprisonment plus a fine of RM2,000 after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Anwar in the infamous "black eye" incident at about 10.45pm on Sept 20, 1998.
Rahim had appealed against the jail term and the fine.
Zulkefli today set aside the fine and also dismissed a cross-appeal by the prosecution for an enhanced sentence.
The ex-Inspector-General of Police was brought into the court at about 9.15am through an underground passage and then he was seated in the dock, and remained seated when his case was called up. The small gate to the dock remained open throughout the proceedings.
Behind him, four police officers were seated. The court gallery was filled with reporters and also some high-ranking police officers. Rahim's wife was also present.
Special treatment>
Although Rahim has already resigned from his post, he still commands respect from policemen.
Most of them on duty at the court complex today stood erect when they saw him, stopping short of saluting their disgraced former chief.
Rahim was also accorded special treatment by being shielded from the press and the public.
Press cameramen were waiting outside the court complex to capture photographs of Rahim but their efforts were in vain as his vehicle was driven straight into the underground car park of the court complex.
He was brought to the court room from there.
At the end of the court case, Rahim was similarly whisked away to the underground car park and driven away quickly from the court.
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