Rosli Dahlan demands RM10m compensation from C4 Center for alleged defamatory posts

KUALA LUMPUR (March 30): Senior lawyer Rosli Dahlan, who is also the lead counsel for 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), is demanding from anti-corruption watchdog Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) RM10 million compensation over alleged defamatory posts against him on Twitter and Facebook.

Rosli claimed that the posts by C4 Center on March 25 contain plainly false, untrue, unwarranted, unsubstantiated, malicious and mischievous statements against him.

Specifically, Rosli was referring to the insinuations by C4 Center that he had siphoned monies from the Goldman Sachs settlement to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), and then redirected some of the money into the party for the benefit of its political interest.

"These statements made against our client and/or the innuendos arising therefrom are false, patently untrue, incongruous, completely baseless, maliciously published, mischievous, mere fabrications, and thus are categorically denied. These defamatory statements have far-reaching, irreversible and irreparable effects which cast aspersions on our client," the letter of demand sighted by theedgemarkets.com read.

The letter of demand, dated yesterday, was submitted by Rosli's own law firm Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership on behalf of him as a client.

He highlighted that Bersatu had respectively on March 6 and March 20 denied allegations of kickbacks of RM500 million, but claimed that C4 Centre had still gone on to publish the March 25 social media posts without first verifying the matter.

Rosli further claimed that the allegedly defamatory publications constitute a grave libel upon him, and as such, reserves the rights to claim substantial damages for libel together with aggravated damages against C4 Centre.

Besides the RM10 million compensation, Rosli also demanded that the posts be removed and that C4 Center provide an unequivocal public apology to be published prominently and immediately on its website, Facebook page and Twitter account, and to have all news portals which had posted the allegedly defamatory materials to also post the same apology with the same prominence.

C4 Center is also required to provide a written undertaking that it will not repeat the publication of similar statements made in the allegedly defamatory posts concerning Rosli.

Rosli warned that failure to comply with the demands within 48 hours will result in legal action to obtain orders such as injunctions and compensation.

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30 March 2021