KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court has granted leave for the prosecution to initiate contempt proceedings against Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal over remarks made during a speech that allegedly interfered with an ongoing inquest into the death of schoolgirl Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan, who is sitting as Coroner, ruled that there was a prima facie case for contempt of court after hearing and reviewing the submissions by Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalan and Nadia Mohd Izhar at the Kota Kinabalu courts here.
The court allowed the Attorney General’s application for leave under Order 52 of the Rules of Court 2012.
“After hearing the applicant’s submissions and examining the cause papers, the Coroner is satisfied that a prima facie case of contempt exists and grants the application for leave,” the coroner said.
The Coroner’s Court is expected to fix a hearing date for the full contempt proceedings.
Court documents will be formally served to Shafie and Mona Din within two weeks. The coroner is expected to set a hearing date once service is complete.
The court also allowed for contempt proceedings against social media influencer Che Muna Din over statements related to the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina.
The contempt application stems from remarks made by both individuals that allegedly prejudiced the integrity of the ongoing inquest.
Shafie’s comments were made during a public event and broadcast via Facebook Live, while Che Muna Din — also known as Mona Din — is alleged to have made similar statements on social media.
The contempt proceedings were from a speech by Shafie during the “Jelajah Inspirasi DSSA” event in Sabah’s east coast Kinabatangan district on Sept 20, 2025. It was broadcast live on Facebook.
In papers filed for the contempt proceedings, the prosecution claimed that Shafie's speech was undermining the public confidence in the administration of justice while also seen to be interfering with the ongoing Coroner's heating.
