Lawyer sues cops, govt for unlawful arrest
Published on: Wednesday, January 03, 2024
By: FMT
Lawyer Rosli Dahlan said he only represented a fintech company in a case against the central bank. (Bernama pic)
Kuala Lumpur: Lawyer Rosli Dahlan has filed an application seeking leave of the High Court to commence judicial review proceedings against the police and government for wrongfully arresting and remanding him in the course of investigations into a fintech company.
In court papers filed on Dec 29, Rosli claimed the police had abused its powers under anti-money laundering laws to implicate him by falsely linking him to a 2018 police report lodged by budget airliner AirAsia against i-Serve Online Mall Sdn Bhd on allegations of cheating.
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He added that AirAsia’s complaint had nothing to do with him as he was not an office bearer of i-Serve.
“I was only their lawyer, representing the company in two judicial review applications against Bank Negara Malaysia,” he said.
Rosli further claimed that police did not record his statement after a magistrates’ court granted an application for him to be remanded for one day on Oct 27, 2023. Instead, he said he was released from custody late that day.
He said that he was served with eight orders freezing his bank accounts when he returned to Bukit Aman on Nov 3 to have his statements recorded.
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Rosli said that he also found out that he had been banned from leaving the country on Nov 18, 2023, when he wanted to go to Singapore to attend a wedding.
He is asking for the court to issue a certiorari order quashing his arrest, detention and remand on grounds that it violated anti-money laundering laws.
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He also wants the court to rescind the travel ban and unfreeze his bank accounts.
The application is fixed to be heard before Justice Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid on Feb 19.
Last year, Bukit Aman arrested i-Serve shareholder Goh Hwan Hua and two family members to facilitate investigations under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.
Police also arrested another businessman in connection with money laundering activities involving MyAirline, a budget carrier co-founded by Goh.
All four were subsequently released on police bail.
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