KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 7): Former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad, former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, and others are exploring a settlement in Shahrir’s malicious-prosecution lawsuit against Thomas.
Counsels for the parties confirmed the matter in court on Monday, with High Court judge Gan Techiong giving them until Wednesday to iron out the details.
"Given that the plaintiff and the defendants wish to hold settlement negotiations, today’s scheduled trial is adjourned and will resume on Wednesday," Gan said.
Earlier, counsels for both parties confirmed to the judge that they were exploring a settlement.
Shahrir had filed the current civil suit naming Thomas, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Latheefa Koya, the MACC, and the government for alleged malicious prosecution, malicious investigation, and wrongful arrest.
He filed the suit after the court granted him a full acquittal in his criminal case, where he had been charged for failing to declare to the Inland Revenue Board the sum of RM1 million, which he had received from jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The trial, which began in July 2022, abruptly ended in January 2023, after hearing more than 20 witnesses, as the prosecution decided to drop its case against the former domestic trade minister.
The prosecution's decision came after MACC investigating officer Nurzahidah Yacop's testimony that she had received an instruction from the prosecution, with permission given by Thomas in January 2020, to charge Shahrir even when the investigation papers on the case were still incomplete.
Shahrir has taken the stand and is testifying on his own behalf. Among others, the ex-Johor Bharu parliamentarian said that no investigations were carried to ascertain whether the RM1 million was indeed categorised as "income". Similar to his defence in the criminal case, he stressed that the RM1 million was a reimbursement for monies spent on his constituents.
The 76-year-old had been slated to continue being cross-examined on Monday.
In this suit, Shahrir is represented by lawyers Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin and Datuk Syed Faisal Al-Edros Syed Abdullah Al-Edros, while Thomas is represented by Alan Adrian Gomez and Haikaldin Mahyidin.
Senior federal counsels Zureen Elina Mohd Dom and Liew Horng Bin are representing the other defendants.