Controversial lawyer Kamal Hisham Jaafar pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court in Johor Baru today to six counts of abusing his position as a company director in connection with the lease of a business space at JB Sentral between 2009 and 2011.

The offences were allegedly committed when he was director of Southern Ads.

The 45-year-old lawyer pleaded not guilty to four charges and two alternatives charges made under the Companies Act 1965.

Judge Azura Alwi set this Thursday (Sept 10) to hear the affidavit-in-reply from the defence on the bail.

Earlier, a panel of lawyers representing Kamal Hisham, comprising Mohd Ashram Zakaria, Muhammad Abd Kabir and Hazza Khalid, requested bail for their client, but this was objected to by the prosecution on grounds that Kamal Hisham had fled the country before.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor from the Companies Commission of Malaysia, Ku Hayati Ku Haron, and Johor Prosecution Unit head Saiful Edris Zainuddin.

- Bernama