The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today dismissed P Uthayakumar’s application for the court to issue a subpoena to former British prime minister Gordon Brown for an interview in relation to his sedition trial.

Judge Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah made the decision on the grounds that Brown was not relevant to the case.

She said the court was unable to see why it should issue the subpoena for the applicant to interview and take instructions for the defence case.

manoharan and uthayakumar sue government 091210 Uthayakumar’s ( left in photo ) lawyer M Manoharan ( right in photo ) told reporters later that they would be appealing against the decision to the Court of Appeal.

Uthayakumar is alleged to have committed an act of seditious tendency by writing a letter to Gordon Brown, the then-prime minister of United Kingdom at 10, Downing Street, London, United Kingdom.

The offence was allegedly committed at no 135-3-A, Jalan Toman 7, Kemayan Square, Seremban, Negri Sembilan on Nov 15, 2007.

Uthayakumar is facing an amended charge under section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948.

If found guilty, he can be fined a maximum of RM5,000 or three years’ jail term or both for the first offence and for the subsequence, a maximum jail term of five years can be imposed.

On July (this year), Uthayakumar had filed an application at the High Court to issue a subpoena to Brown for an interview.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin told the court that the case at the Sessions Court was still at the prosecution stage, and the prosecution had called three witnesses and will be closing the case on Oct 23, 2012.

- Bernama