Datuk Ramli Yusuff at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on November 1, 2013 to file his defamation lawsuit against former IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail and several others. — Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Cleared at last of corruption charges brought against him six years ago, retired policeman Datuk Ramli Yusuff sought further vindication by initiating a RM128 million defamation suit against top government officials and an ex-rival whom he claimed were behind the ”malicious prosecution” and a “conspiracy” against him.
Ramli, a former commercial crime investigation department (CCID) chief, named Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan and 10 others in his suit filed at the High Court today — telling reporters he had been charged the same day six years ago.
“Today is a very significant day for me, because today is 1st of November, 2013. So it’s about six years ago I was charged in court.
“I should say the Malaysian legal system is good. Since I was in the force for 38 years, I feel it’s only fair that I take action on all the defendants for malicious prosecution and conspiracy towards me,” Ramli told reporters in the court lobby after the filing.
“I’m doing this for the sake of the betterment of the police force. I thought of giving them more courage so that they won’t be demoralised because I was charged,” he added.
In the court papers filed, Ramli stated that RM1.5 million was spent in defending himself in three separate cases where he had faced five charges under the Penal Code and Anti-Corruption Act.
Ramli has since then been acquitted of all charges previously brought against him.
In his statement of claim, Ramli sought special damages of RM1.5 million, punitive and aggravated damages of RM50 million each, exemplary damages of RM27 million as well as an unspecified sum of general damages.
Ramli is seeking these compensation from either all 12 defendants or anyone of them or more than one of them.
In the same suit, Ramli has also named Datuk Nordin Hassan, Kevin Anthony Morais, Chew Kam Soon, Sok One Esen, Saiful Ezral Ariffin as the third to seventh defendants.
Azmi Ismail, Wan Abdul Rahman, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the police force and the government of Malaysia were named as the remaining five defendants.
In the same court document, Ramli said the legal action was brought against the defendants for alleged “false and malicious investigation” and “prosecutorial misconduct” among other things, which he claimed were done with intentions such as malice and ill-will and personal spite.
They had also conspired to injure him and cause him to suffer losses by “false and malicious investigation, abuse of power, abuse of prosecutorial discretion, malicious prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct” and destroying his reputation, integrity and career, Ramli claimed.
According to Ramli, the defendants named had allegedly engaged in a conspiracy with newspapers such as Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, The Star and New Straits Times, purportedly to defame and destroy his reputation.
MALAY MAIL
