Rafizi to send representation letter to AG for review of Tabung Haji charge

Lawyers for former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli will send a representation letter to the attorney-general with regard to the charge he is facing for criminal defamation against pilgrimage fund Tabung Haji (TH).

His lawyer Md Yunos Shariff told magistrate Umzarul An Nur Umar today that he will file the papers on Monday.

"This is the first application for a representation letter to be sent with regard to this case," Yunos said.

Following that, Umzarul fixed Jan 28 for decision on the representation letter.

She also said that should the representation letter failed, Feb 27 and 28 would be maintained as trial dates as the earlier trial dates fixed for next month have been vacated.

Deputy public prosecutor Jaafar Sidek appeared for the prosecution.

A representation letter is usually sent to either drop or reduce a charge.

Rafizi told Malaysiakini that he had instructed his lawyer to submit a representation letter following recent developments and investigations into the pilgrimage fund.

It was previously reported that Umzarul had ordered Rafizi to enter his defence last September.

The former PKR vice-president claimed trial to defaming TH in an article 'Analisa Kewangan Tabung Haji 2009-2015' (Tabung Haji Financial Analysis 2009-2015) which was uploaded onto his Facebook account on Feb 9, 2016.

Rafizi allegedly committed the offence at Level 18, Bangunan Tabung Haji, 201 Jalan Tun Razak at about 9am on Feb 18, 2016.

The offence, under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation, carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a fine.

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