UPDATED
By Debra Chong and Edward CheahKUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam today applied to the magistrate's court here to immediately cancel a warrant of arrest issued against him yesterday for allegedly refusing a court order to testify at the inquest of Tamil drama actress K. Sujatha.
Magistrate Mohd Fauzi Che Abu will hear his application at 9am tomorrow.
Manikavasagam denied that he had purposely avoided accepting the subpoena. He also said that he had not made arrangements to meet the police and then run away.
He said he was more than willing to accept the subpoena from the police as it would allow him to take part in the inquest, including questioning the witnesses, which is still his aim because it is a matter of public interest.
Instead, he claims the police are deliberately turning the spotlight on him and smearing his name to distract the public's attention from the “real issues” at the heart of Sujatha's death.
“What caused her death? Why was she rushed to the Klang hospital? Why so much money lavished on her? Why did it take the police two years to investigate?” Manikavasagam's lawyer N. Surendran cut in during the short media conference at the Jalan Duta court complex.
“Blood samples are missing,” Manikavasagam added.
The first-term national lawmaker also claimed to have two video compact discs (VCDs) showing the behaviour of the deceased's boss, S. Vel Paari, and his father, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, at her funeral two years ago.
The PKR man hinted that their actions would shed light on her death.
Manikavasagam said he would make public the contents of the videos on July 9, the next hearing of Sujatha's inquest.
He claimed he had already given copies to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
Sujatha died at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang on June 25, 2007 where she was rushed after found to have drunk weedkiller.
Then 28, she was also a personal assistant to 46-year-old Vel Paari, the CEO of Maika Holdings, the MIC’s's investment arm.
The big-eyed beauty was rumoured to be romantically linked to the married Vel Paari, but he has denied this.
The inquest is being held to determine if there was foul play in her death.
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
