AG rejects bid by PSM's Arul to drop sedition charge
PSM committee member S Arutchelvan's application to drop the sedition charge against him has been rejected by attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali.
"I am definitely disappointed that the AG is not dropping the charge because it is a waste of public funds, but I am not surprised with the decision," Arutchelvan said in a statement today.
The sedition charge, he added, was "political in nature and would need a political solution".
Arutchelvan also slammed the ruling party by claiming that it is using the legal system for the sake of its own interests and not for the interest of the country or people.
His lawyer New Sin Yew, he said, will be filing an application for judicial review to the High Court on the question of how can an individual be charged for a statement made by a political party.
They had sent a letter of representation to the AG Chambers dated Jan 22 and had received a reply through a letter dated Feb 23.
The letter said that after careful consideration and examination of the investigation papers and letter of representation from Arutchelvan's lawyers, the application to drop the sedition charges against him had been rejected.
As such, at the Kuala Lumpur Session Court today, judge Amiruddin Ahmad had fixed the trial dates from June 13 to 17.
Arutchelvan is being charged with making a seditious statement on his Facebook page regarding a press statement on the Federal Court's decision in former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's second sodomy case.
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