Chegu Bard sued for defaming Anwar’s aide

PETALING JAYA: Hang Tuah Jaya MP Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin is suing Badrul Hisham Shaharin (Chegu Bard) for slander over a Facebook post.

In a statement on Friday (Jan 12), Datuk Sankara Nair who is representing Shamsul said his firm – SN Nair and Partners – had been instructed to initiate legal action against Chegu Bard for sending Facebook posts containing false, baseless and defamatory statements against Shamsul.

“The post has implicated our client with allegations of corrupt practices in his capacity as senior political secretary to the 10th Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Further to the above, our lawyer has lodged a police report against Chegu Bard at the Seberang Jaya police station on Jan 6, regarding sending the Facebook post for police investigation under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” he said in a statement on Friday.

He said in the meantime, a Notice of Claim against Chegu Bard was also filed and the same has been personally handed over to him outside the Setapak police station around 4.30pm.

“If Chegu Bard does not provide any response within five days from the date of the Notice of Claim, then, we have instructed our counsel to proceed with the filing of the Writ of Summons against him.

“It is emphasised here that our client has fulfilled his responsibilities with full dedication and transparency but has now been made a scapegoat with the defamation that has been thrown and is now demanding to clear his name,” he said adding that they were demanding that the Facebook post be retracted and issue an apology which will be posted in the media of their clients choosing.

He said they were also demanding Chegu Bard to sign a written oath to never repeat the said allegations and comments.

“Failure to do so will lead to us to apply for an injunction and proceed with legal action including seeking damages of RM5mil for severely injuring the reputation of our client,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sankara said that they were also appointed to represent Muhammad Hafiz Rayyan (a volunteer) and have lodged a police report on Thursday at the Dang Wangi Police Station against Chegu Bard for defamatory statements contained in an infographic that has been made and uploaded by Chegu Bard to his Telegram Channel under the name “Chegu Bard Original” with the provision of public access.

“Our lawyers have denied the infographic and lodged a police report for police investigation under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

“Further to the above, we have been instructed to initiate appropriate legal action in the near future,” he said.