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SHAH ALAM: The Court of Sessions has issued an arrest warrant against a businessman with the title of “Datuk Seri” for failing to appear in court to face charges related to the release of 22 Chinese nationals detained for online gambling.
The arrest warrant for Mohammed Al Faizal Mohammed, 45, was issued by Judge Rozilah Salleh following a request from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor, Fadhli Ab Wahab.
The businessman’s lawyer, T Tamil Salvan, had told the court that his client had been admitted to a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur for arthritis and was unable to inform the court in time. He added that he only knew the status of the accused today.
The judge ordered Tamil Salvan to present a medical certificate stating that Mohammed Al Faizal was unfit to attend court, but the prosecution said the hospital had declared that the defendant could appear in court today.
As the defendant was not present today, the court decided that the case be postponed until tomorrow.
Mohammed Al Faizal would face two charges, including an alternative one in connection with the release of 22 Chinese nationals who had been arrested by the police and placed in the custody of the Immigration Department for participating in online gambling activities.
On March 18, he had also been charged with two counts of accepting a bribe of RM 176,000 to help free the 22 Chinese nationals.
