Photo shows the Kuching Court Complex. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (July 5): The High Court here today set Thursday for further mention of the ‘Blackhole’ defamation case to find out if the plaintiffs — the Sarawak government and State Financial Authority (SFA) — would be rebutting what the defence adduced during the trial hearing.
The date was fixed after Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen closed his defence against the suit for defamation brought against him by the Sarawak government and SFA.
State Legal Counsel Dato Sri JC Fong said he would be calling witnesses to rebut Chong’s defence.
Fong was assisted by state legal officers Mohamad Adzrul Adzlan, Oliver Chua, and Voon Yan Sin.
Chong, who is defending himself, was assisted by counsels Chong Siew Chiang, Michael Kong, and Sim Kiat Leng.
Judicial Commissioner Alexander Siew presided over the case.
Chong, who is Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, allegedly used the term ‘Blackhole’ in 2013 to insinuate that RM11 billion had gone missing from the state’s coffers and was channelled into several crony companies of the then state Barisan Nasional (BN) government.