Former Road Transport Department (RTD) deputy director-general Yusoff Ayob changed his plea to not guilty when he was recharged for driving on the emergency lane, at the Magistrate's Court in Putrajaya today.

Yusoff was present in court with his lawyer Baljit Singh Sidhu, before claiming trial before Magistrate Syahrul Juzly Md Zain.

Deputy public prosecutor Izzat Faizal from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) appeared for the prosecution. 

Baljit told reporters that his client was wrongly advised with regard to his initial guilty plea to the charge, hence his change of plea today. 

Yusoff’s earlier fine of RM600 was returned, added the lawyer, following the change of plea.

“We intend to file in a representation on the case with the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” Baljit said, adding that the matter has been fixed for case management on Aug 21.

Normally, a representation is sent either to drop or reduce a charge.

Yusoff made headlines when he sent his special officer to the magistrate’s court in Putrajaya, to plead guilty on his behalf, on the summons charge last week, for which he was fined RM600.

He was charged with driving on the emergency lane of Lingkaran Putrajaya in his car bearing the licence plate BLY68 at 6.27pm on Oct 7, 2016.

The maximum fine for the offence is RM2,000.

Absence in court raises questions

Yusoff was charged with violating Rule 53(1) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, which is an offence under Section 119(1)(c) of the Road Transport Act 1957.

Yusoff's absence in court raised questions, resulting in judicial commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ordering the case to be remitted back to the magistrate’s court.

Even Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif commented and questioned the procedure of the magistrate accepting a plea from a representative.

Yusoff, who has since been transferred to the Public Services Department (PSD), kept mum today when asked about his sudden transfer.

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the transfers of Yusoff and RTD enforcement director V Valluvan Veloo to the PSD, effective last Friday, was a normal process.

Valluvan was transferred, believed over a break-in incident at RTD director-general Nadzri Siron's office, for which three personnel from the RTD's Special Action Force Unit were detained.