KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysiakini's sister company, KiniTV, and its director claimed trial on Friday over two allegedly offensive videos.
KiniTV was charged with two counts of improper use of network facilities under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA).
Among others, the section criminalises the use of network facilities or network services by a person to transmit any communication that is deemed to be offensive and could cause annoyance to another person.
KiniTV director Steven Gan (pic) was charged with two counts of being in charge of companies in the commission of the offences under Section 244(1) of the Act.
The charge carries a jail term not exceeding one year, a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or both and, additionally, a further fine of RM1,000 for every day during which the offence continued after conviction.
Gan, who was present at the Kuala Lumpur Special Cyber Court, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Judge Zaman Mohd Noor set bail at RM2,000 without surety for each charge.
The case is set for mention on Jan 3.
The court also heard two charges against another KiniTV director, Premesh Chandran, for the same offences. The case will be heard on Jan 3.
Lawyer Fahri Azzat argued that Premesh is now overseas on sabbatical leave since September and had not been served the papers in person.
Fahri requested that the charges against Premesh be postponed to August next year when he is scheduled to return to Malaysia.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sophian Zakaria said this was too long and requested for Jan 3 to hear the case.
The two videos, one in English and the other in Malay, were uploaded on July 26 and showed former Batu Kawan Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan criticising Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali during a press conference.
Last week, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) raided Malaysiakini's office over the videos and seized two computers.
