KUALA LUMPUR (May 26): The High Court has set Aug 8 to hear Sapura Energy Bhd’s appeal over a Sessions Court’s decision allowing Economy Minister Mohd Rafizi Ramli to obtain documents disclosing Sapura Energy’s former chief executive officer Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin’s remuneration and incentive package.
Rafizi’s counsel Navpreet Singh confirmed the matter with The Edge when contacted, following a case management on Friday (May 26).
Sapura Energy — which is an aggrieved party in the proceedings — filed the notice of appeal last April through Messrs Rahmat, Lim and Partners.
They are appealing Sessions Court judge Lailatul Zuraida Harron @ Haron’s decision on April 14 to allow Rafizi’s discovery application.
The judge found that the documents sought were relevant to the Pandan member of Parliament (MP) as the defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Shahril.
Lailatul also ordered Sapura Energy to produce the documents sought by Rafizi within one month.
Meanwhile, on May 8 the same Sessions Court judge granted Sapura Energy an interim stay on the order, which means that the debt-laden oil and gas giant need not disclose the details of Shahril’s remuneration package for now.
Lailatul also directed parties to exhaust affidavits, as well as file written submissions for the firm’s application for a permanent stay, pending Sapura Energy’s appeal.
She has fixed June 28 to deliver her decision on the company’s permanent stay application.
Rafizi is facing a defamation suit from Shahril over statements he made that were published in three articles via his social media accounts, in reaction to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak asking the government to save Sapura Energy by injecting more funds into the company.
The PKR deputy president had opposed Najib’s view of further bailing out Sapura Energy, claiming that public funds should not be used to protect the elite.
In his defence to the suit, Rafizi claimed that he was justified in raising the matter, and that Shahril’s remuneration when he served as CEO did not commensurate with Sapura Energy’s financial performance.
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