Maria Chin's suit against IGP and two others settled, ex-Bersih chief gets RM25k in damages

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The suit by former Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah (pic) against the Inspector-General of Police and two other defendants pertaining to her wrongful detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) in 2016 has been settled amicably at the High Court.

Lawyer Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar, representing Maria, 63, said the Inspector-General of Police, the Home Minister and the government of Malaysia as the defendants in the suit, agreed to pay RM25,000 in damages, and the settlement was also reached without admission of liability.

“All the defendants also agreed to pay the cost of RM5,000 to the plaintiff (Maria),” he told reporters after the management of the case in High Court Judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad's chambers on Monday (Feb 18).

Gurdial said the court subsequently recorded the consent judgment of the suit.

The proceeding was also attended by senior federal counsel Kamal Azira Hassan, who acted on behalf of the three defendants.

On Aug 6 last year, Maria, who is also Petaling Jaya MP, sued the three defendants for allegedly causing her to be wrongfully arrested and jailed under Sosma.

In her statement of claim, Maria said she was arrested and detained under Sosma at the Bersih office on Nov 18, 2016, and her belongings including a mobile phone, several computer equipment and documents were also seized.

Maria claimed that her arrest was politically motivated and was done to serve the purpose of the party helming the government at the time to thwart efforts to hold a peaceful assembly, and to frighten the public from attending the rally.

The plaintiff claimed that her 10-day detention from Nov 18, 2016, was aimed at suppressing her, including forcing her to sleep in an individual cell without windows and sleeping on a concrete floor with only a woodboard, and without any mattresses, pillows and blankets.

In the statement of defence filed on Oct 3 last year, all defendants claimed the arrest and detention of the plaintiff was lawful and was not made on a political basis or with malicious intent. - Bernama