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©The
Sun (Used by permission)
by Tan Yi Liang
PETALING JAYA (Oct 07, 2008) : Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin had told a live
television show on April 27 this year that he had written on the murder of
Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in his news portal two days earlier, the
Sessions Court heard today.
Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) producer Hashim Abu Hanifah, who hosted the show
"Blog", said: "If I am not mistaken, Raja Petra had said that he had written on
Altantuya two days before the broadcast (April 25)."
Hashim was the prosecution's second witness in the sedition trial of Raja Petra
who allegedly posted the article titled "Let's send the Altantuya murderers
to hell" on April 25. That article implicated Deputy Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his wife.
Hashim made this statement when asked by deputy public prosecutor Ishak Mohd
Yusoff on the second day of the high-profile trial.
Later, when cross examined by defence lawyer J. Chandra, who asked him how many
times Raja Petra had mentioned "Altantuya" during the course of recording the
programme, Hashim said Raja Petra had mentioned Altantuya "once".
He then told the court that he remembered Raja Petra had mentioned the words "dua
hari lalu"(two days ago) to him.
However, when questioned further, Hashim admitted he was unclear of the
specifics of the episode.
Chandra: Your memory (of the episode) is not entirely accurate.
Hashim: "Mungkin setuju" (I might agree).
Judge Rozina Ayob: What do you mean by "mungkin setuju"?
Hashim: I am not accurate as to the specifics.
Another defence lawyer Gobind Singh Deo had earlier successfully defeated an
attempt by the prosecution to play in court a VCD recording of the episode of
"Blog", claiming that the prosecution was trying to "substitute" a witness with
a VCD despite the witness being present.
"The prosecution cannot use the video without laying down the groundwork. The
witness is here, ask the witness, don't use the VCD," he told the court, citing
Section 159(1) of the Evidence Act
"A witness may refresh his memory by any writing made by himself during the time
(of the incident)," said Gobind, who added that the video could not be used as
it was not made by Hisham.
He pointed out that anyone could have made the video.
Gobind, who spoke to the press during a break in proceedings, said he had
objected to the playing of the VCD, as it would "substitute" a witness.
"How can you substitute a witness with a VCD? You can't do that. It is not the
case of the witness not being present (in the court). The witness is sitting
here and you are putting in his video," he said.
Raja Petra, who left a packed courtroom in a police van at 4.30pm, was met by
over 30 supporters, bloggers and family members, who unfurled banners and
chanted "bebaskan RPK" (Free RPK).
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Circular No 297/2008
