Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown appeals against jail sentence

The Star

Clare Rewcastle-Brown, who was sentenced to two years' jail in absentia on Wednesday (Feb 7), is appealing against her sentence and conviction in her defamation case.  Read more at https://shorturl.at/ktzT9  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00 The Lawyer of Sarawak Report editor Claire Rucasel-Brown said she is appealing against

00:07 her sentence and conviction in her defamation suit.

00:11 Rucasel-Brown was sentenced to two years' jail in absentia by the Kuala Terengganu Magistrates'

00:17 Court on Wednesday for defaming Sultana Nur Zahira of Terengganu in relation to corrupt

00:23 practices in the establishment of the Terengganu Investment Authority, which later became known

00:29 as 1MDB.

00:30 FMT quoted lawyer Gwok Ngek Seong as saying that he had received instructions from Rucasel-Brown

00:37 to file the appeal in the High Court.

00:39 He said his client urged the magistrate to invoke his revisionary power to correct what

00:45 she described as an "illegal and irregular order."

00:49 He said the police knew his client's whereabouts in London but did not take steps to bring

00:53 her to Malaysia.

00:55 He said the hearing against an accused person could only proceed in their absence if they

00:59 absconded after claiming trial.

01:02 On Wednesday, the court found Rucasel-Brown guilty and ordered the sentence to take effect

01:07 immediately.

01:09 The Sarawak Report portal reported that court's decision had taken everyone by surprise.

01:15 The report said there was no notification of the hearing and no summons and no information

01:20 passed to the lawyer for the defendant.

01:27 For more information visit www.fmt.gov.au/courts/lawyer/court-decision/lawyer-decision.

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