PUTRAJAYA: A civil suit brought by a businessman against Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for alleged assault will proceed for trial at the High Court.
The Federal Court dismissed the minister’s leave application to appeal against the decision by the High Court that he should settle the suit in court.
Panel chairman, Court of Appeal president Justice Raus Sharif said that the issues brought up by Ahmad Zahid’s counsel Shamsul Bahrain Ibrahim were factual and should be heard in a trial at the High court.
The five-person panel, which also included Justices Richard Malanjum, Abdul Hamid Mohamed, Suriyadi Halim Omar and Zainun Ali dismissed the application with RM5,000 costs.
Businessman Amir Bazli Abdullah, 41, filed the suit for damages on July 4, 2007, claiming that Ahmad Zahid punched him in the face on Jan 16, 2006 at the Country Heights recreational club in Kajang.
The alleged action caused him to suffer a nasal bone fracture and a swollen left eye.
Ahmad Zahid applied to strike out the suit on grounds that it was trivial, but was dismissed by the High Court and Court of Appeal in April 2010 and March 2012, respectively.
Ahmad Zahid filed a counter-claim against Amir Bazli for damages.
In his statement of defence, Ahmad Zahid, then Deputy Information Minister, denied that he ever punched Amir Bazli, claiming that it was Amir Bazli’s own concoction.
The case will be heard at the Shah Alam High court on Aug 26 and 27.
Did you find this article insightful?
