Businessman withdraws civil suit against Zahid Hamidi

 SHAH ALAM: A civil suit brought by a businessman against Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for an alleged assault has been resolved after six long years on Thursday.

 

The matter was settled out-of-court with both parties agreeing to withdraw their suit and counter-claim.

 

Businessman Amir Bazli Abdullah and Ahmad Zahid had a 90-minute mediation before Sessions Court judge Rohani Ismail after the judge decided that the mediation should be done without the presence of their respective counsels.

 

The terms of the settlement including costs will be negotiated later between the two.

 

Amir Bazli, 41, sued Ahmad Zahid for unspecified damages on July 4, 2004.

 

He claimed Ahmad Zahid punched him in the face on Jan 16, 2006 at the Country Heights recreational club in Kajang, causing him to suffer a nasal bone fracture and a swollen left eye.

 

Ahmad Zahid applied to the High Court to strike out the suit on grounds that the suit was trivial but was dismissed by the High Court and Court of Appeal in April 2010 and March 2012, respectively.

 

On Aug 24, 2010, Ahmad Zahid filed a counter-claim against Amir Bazli for damages for considerable distress, embarrassment, anxiety suffered by him and also damages for libel over publication of the alleged incident after Amir Bazli had gone to the media.

 

In his statement of defence, Ahmad Zahid, then deputy Information Minister, denied that he ever delivered any punch on Amir Bazli causing injury to his face, claiming that it was Amir Bazli's own concoction.

 

The case was supposed to go on trial at the Shah Alam High Court on Aug 26 and 27.

 

Amir Bazli, who walked with a crutch, told reporters that he could not disclose what transpired during mediation.

 

"Tak boleh nak cakap apa. Saya tak mahu komen (I can't say anything, I don't want to comment)," he told reporters.

 

He described the meeting between him and Ahmad Zahid as 'okay'.

 

When asked if he was satisfied, the businessman replied: "I agreed to it."

 

Lawyer Karpal Singh represented Amir Bazli while lawyer Datuk Shamsul-Bahrain (correct) represented Ahmad Zahid.