Instead, Rafizi, 39, who is also PKR secretary-general, said he made a reasonable assumption on the purchase of the eight properties based on Salleh’s previous purchase of a luxury condominium unit at One Menerung in Bangsar and another property in Singapore.
“I made a reasonable assumption based on what had happened earlier (previous purchases),” he said, adding that he did not verify with Salleh on his assumption.
Rafizi said this in reply to a question from counsel M. David Morais representing Salleh as the plaintiff, in his suit filed against Rafizi and Malaysiakini news portal over the purchase of properties in KL Eco City, Bangsar.
In reply to David’s question, Rafizi told the court that he was not aware that the loan offered to Salleh had been withdrawn by the bank and he did not make any checks on the matter.
When asked by counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah whether he (Rafizi) knew that he was likely to be charged with a criminal offence after disclosing bank account statements of Salleh and NFCorp, in accordance with the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989 (Bafia), the Pandan MP replied: “Yes”.
However the defence witness was not aware that the disclosure of the statements of the bank account was an offence under Sections 202 and 203 of the Penal Code.
In the suit filed on June 3, 2013, Salleh, 67, and NFCorp, claimed that on March 7, 2012, Rafizi, who was then PKR strategic director, had made a defamatory statement concerning the purchase of the property during a press conference at the PKR headquarters and that the statement was published by Malaysiakini on the same day.
Salleh said the suit was filed because of the losses suffered as a result of the lies, misleading information, disclosure of confidential banking information and the defamatory statements made by the defendant.
He is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, as well as interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
He is also seeking an injunction to prevent the defendant from issuing further statements that can mislead and confuse the public about the issue.
Judicial Commissioner Azizul Azmi Adnan set July 8 for submissions.
– BERNAMA