The Federal Court has unanimously allowed a fugitive former Cambodian police chief to file contempt proceedings against two high-ranking immigration officers and a deputy public prosecutor.

According to Bernama , the bench comprising Justices Richard Malanjum, Hashim Yusoff and Azmel Ma'amor granted Heng Pov's ex-parte application for leave to file contempt proceedings yesterday.

Heng Pov's counsel N Sivanathan was directed to file the application to cite Immigration Department director-general Wahid Mohamad Don, enforcement director Ishak Mohamed and government lawyer Hanafiah Zakaria for contempt within 21 days.

Following this decision, the trio have to answer to the court why they should not be cited for contempt of court.

Heng Pov was convicted and sentenced in absentia by a Cambodian court on Sept 18 for conspiracy in connection with the killing of judge Sok Setha Mony in Phnom Penh.

He fled the country and arrived in Malaysia from Singapore, where he was detained on immigration offences.

Malaysia's high court ruled he be returned to Singapore, his last port of embarkation, from where he planned to travel to Finland, which had offered him refuge.

Misled the court

However, the court of appeal found in favour of the government and within minutes, even as an appeal was being lodged, he was flying back to Cambodia, where he was jailed.

In a written application to the court Thursday, Sivananthan said the three officers had misled the Court of Appeal when they said they had not decided how and when Heng Pov would be deported.

He claims the trio were in fact fully aware that arrangements had been made with the Cambodian government to have a private plane waiting at the Subang Airport to remove Heng Pov from Malaysia

"They were fully aware then that arrangements had been made with the Cambodian government to have a private plane waiting at Subang airport to remove him from Malaysia," he told AFP .

"The officers acted contrary to law by handing him over to the Cambodian government's representative ... when counsel (Sivananthan) indicated that he was going to the Federal Court to get an application to stay the deportation."

Amnesty International and Malaysian rights group Suaram have condemned the swift expulsion.