KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 15): The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday (Feb 15) ordered former Umno Youth executive council member Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris to give a definitive answer to whether he is the infamous blogger "Papagomo".
Judge Datuk Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz presided over the interrogatories application by former finance minister Lim Guan Eng and his son Clint Lim Way Chau.
Apart from providing an affirmative "yes" or negative "no", Wan Azri would also have to state whether he has a Facebook account under the name of Papa Azri and if he had published defamatory statements about Lim and his son through the said Facebook account.
He will have to file his reply within 14 days from the date of service of the order on Tuesday (Feb 15), Simon Murali, counsel to Guan Eng and Way Chau, related to theedgemarkets.com.
Murali, who appeared with Kok Yuen Lin, said Wan Azri is also directed to pay costs of RM3,000. The Umno man was represented by Logan Abdullah and Nur Fazilah Jaafar
The interrogatories application was filed to seek some definitive answers before the defamation trial.
Wan Azri had previously denied in his defence statement that he is Papagomo which, in turn, led to the interrogatories application.
In his answers to an initial interrogatories application dated Aug 30, 2021, Wan Azri had refused to answer all three queries as he claimed that the burden of proof is on the plaintiffs to show that he was indeed the blogger. He countered that some of the questions were akin to a "fishing expedition".
Guan Eng and his son had filed the suit against Wan Azri on Oct 15, 2020 for spreading a "malicious lie" and false news about them.
The suit was filed because the blogger alleged that Guan Eng had flown to Singapore after Way Chau had taken RM2 million in undeclared cash into the neighbouring country and was hauled up at the airport.
Guan Eng and Way Chau are seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, interest on awarded damages, costs, and any other order deemed fit, appropriate and reasonable by the High court in the defamation suit.
In a suit filed by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim prior to this, another High Court had found Wan Azri as Papagomo.