Wan Saiful threatens to sue Bernama over ‘defamatory’ article

March 28, 2024

Wan Saiful threatens to sue Bernama over ‘defamatory’ article

KUALA LUMPUR: Tasek Gelugor member of Parliament Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan has demanded that the National News Agency (Bernama) remove an article regarding his trial which he claims is defamatory.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Wan Saiful said as an official news agency, Bernama should exercise greater responsibility to avoid being perceived as a propaganda outlet.

The article was titled: “Company allegedly helped by Wan Saiful obtain a four-star rating, court told.”

The law firm representing Wan Saiful, Chetan Jethwani in a letter of demand said the article that was reproduced and is still accessible by several news outlets gave a false impression of its client.”The Impugned title which is false, unjustified, misleading, malicious and/or concocted, has led to a string of misreporting in relation to the court proceedings. The misreporting also led to an inaccurate representation of the facts and created the impression that our client was guilty.

“To issue and cause to be published prominently an unreserved and unqualified retraction and apology to our client on any of your social media platform and/or any social media platform of our choosing, not limited to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, blogs and /or websites including but not limited to the Impugned Title; “To pay to our client substantive general and aggravated damages for an amount to be agreed; and “To indemnify our client in respect of the costs which he will have incurred in connection with this matter.

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“Take notice that should you fail to comply with the demands within the next 24 hours from the receipt of this letter, we have our client’s strict instructions to proceed with the necessary legal proceedings against you and the Government of Malaysia, without further notice wherein you will be liable for additional costs,” the firm said in the letter of demand.

Wan Saiful, 47, is charged with soliciting a bribe from one Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement for him to help a company, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, secure the RM232 million-worth “Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Expressway Interchange” project from the federal government.

He is charged with receiving RM6,962,694.54, which was transferred from a Maybank Islamic Bhd account owned by Nepturis Sdn Bhd into a CIMB Bank Bhd account held by his company, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, as a reward for helping the company obtain a letter of acceptance for the project.

He is alleged to have committed both offences at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana here, in April last year and at the CIMB Bank Bhd Bukit Tunku branch, Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku here, between July 8 and Sept 30 last year.

Wan Saiful was also charged with 18 counts of money laundering involving RM5.59 million by transferring and using the illegal proceeds to pay for the purchase of a Ford Ranger vehicle, making payments to the Malaysian National Sports Council as well as transferring money to several company accounts, including one belonging to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd.