Covid-19: DPP tests positive, all DPPs must now undergo home quarantine

KUALA LUMPUR: A deputy public prosecutor (DPP) from the Attorney General’s Chambers is down with Covid-19, causing almost all of the deputy public prosecutors from the Appellate and Trial division to undergo a 10-day quarantine beginning May 3.

In a domino effect, this has rendered the DPPs – who exclusively handle the criminal appeals at the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court - to be unable to appear before the courts for appeal cases between May 3 and May 13.

A source confirmed that Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and the Court of Appeal president Justice Rohana Yusuf had both agreed for the criminal appeals before the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal to be vacated.

In an email dated May 1, division chief Manoj Kurup wrote to the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh to request for the proceedings to be vacated.

Manoj said the DPP was confirmed to be Covid-19 positive on April 30.

“Investigation by the division showed that almost all of the DPPs from this division had close contact with the affected officer.

“Therefore almost all of the DPPs must undergo self-quarantine for 10 days beginning May 3 as per the government SOP or until ordered otherwise by the Health Ministry, ” he said in the email.

The proceedings are expected to resume after the Hari Raya holidays.