KUALA LUMPUR: A defamation suit filed by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has been settled out of court with two of the defendants, including blogger Papagomo, admitting that Fahmi's speech at a mosque was not a political campaign.
The settlement was recorded in consent judgment before High Court judge Justice Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan here on Monday (April 6).
The two defendants are Facebook account "N13 Kuang" user Mohd Fauzan Madzlan and political blogger Papagomo, or his full name Wan Azri Wan Deris.
In the settlement, both Fauzan and Wan Azri admitted in court that Fahmi's speech at a mosque in Rawang, Selangor on July 30, 2023, during the state election period was not a political campaign nor politically motivated.
Fahmi's lawyer Fahri Azzat told the press that following this, Fahmi agreed to withdraw his defamation lawsuit against the defendants without costs.
However, Fahmi's claims against a third defendant, freelance preacher Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani, will proceed with the trial starting tomorrow (April 7).
Fahmi filed the suits separately against the three defendants on Sept 5, 2023.
According to his statement of claim, Fahmi alleges that the three defendants had published defamatory statements accusing him of misusing the mosque for election campaigning purposes and acting contrary to the decrees and orders of the Sultan of Selangor.
Fahmi claims that the defamatory statements were published on Mohd Fauzan's Facebook account, Ahmad Dusuki's Facebook and Instagram accounts on July 31, 2023, and Wan Muhammad Azri's TikTok and Facebook accounts on Aug 1, the same year.
According to Fahmi, the defendants' statements are baseless, and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council has confirmed that he did not make any political speech as alleged by the defendants.
He is seeking general, aggravated, or exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent all defendants from repeating or causing the republication of the defamatory statements.
