LTAT vs Rafizi trial to be held in October and December

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has fixed October and December to hear the Armed Forces Fund Board’s (LTAT) suit against Pandan MP Mohd Rafizi Ramli, who allegedly implied it has no money to pay gratuity to ex-servicemen.

Rafizi’s lawyer Saiful Izham Ramli told reporters after meeting Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim in chambers that the judge set Oct 11 and Dec 18-20 for the trial.

Saiful Izham also said the court fixed July 3 as the next case management date. Lawyer Ahmad Syateer Izzat appeared for LTAT.

In the board’s statement of claim filed on May 6 last year, it said Rafizi, who is also PKR vice-president, had on March 21, 2016, posted defamatory statements about it in his blog and on Facebook.

It said Rafizi caused the publication of another defamatory statement in Malaysiakini’s website on March 24 and repeated the accusation in a Facebook post on March 28 last year.

The board said it sent a notice of demand to him on April 5 last year asking for a retraction of the statements, an apology and an undertaking not to repeat any defamatory words, but he failed to do so.

LTAT is seeking general damages, exemplary damages and an injunction to restrain Rafizi or his agents from publishing libellous statements against it.