Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) chairperson R Sri Sanjeevan was charged in the Sessions Court in Petaling Jaya today with making insulting remarks on his Facebook account against inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar.

However, he pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out before judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh.

Sanjeevan, 32, who is a businessman, was charged with knowingly using a network service application through his Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MalaysianCrimeWatchMyWatch to create and initiate the transmission of insulting remarks at Khalid with intent to annoy another person's feeling at 1.48pm last Sept 3.

The charge, under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, provides a fine of up to RM50,000, or imprisonment for up to a year, or both, and shall also be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Nordin Ismail offered bail at RM5,000 in one surety, but Sanjeevan, represented by lawyer S Preakas requested for a lower bail.

Following this, the court set bail at RM3,000 with one surety and fixed Nov 28 for mention.

Prior to this, Sanjeevan had been charged with various offences and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Last Aug 25, he was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court with misleading a company director into believing that he possessed a law degree and a business degree from Northumbria University and Camden University, whereby the academic qualifications were alleged to be fake.

Earlier, on Aug 16, in the same court, Sanjeevan was charged with extorting one Mohamad Azhan Hamza, 32, at Restoran Marakesh in Jalan Raja Uda, Kampung Baru.

On Aug 12, he was charged at the Temerloh Magistrate’s Court for allegedly blackmailing a businessman for RM1,500.

He had also pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s and Sessions Courts in Seremban to two charges involving the hiring of an illegal worker and committing extortion, respectively, on July 19.

- Bernama