KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has sentenced former Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam to one month's jail for contempt of court.

       Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah found Lokman guilty of contempt of court for intimidating a witness in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial involving Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

       The contempt proceedings here on Thursday (July 15) were brought on Lokman by the then attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in 2019, for intimidating Najib's former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, a key witness in the 1MDB case.

       The court ordered the jail time to run from Thursday.

       Lokman's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammed Shafee Abdullah asked for a stay of execution on the sentence pending appeal to the Court of Appeal which would be filed on Thursday.

       DPP Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam objected to the stay on grounds that the case had been fully litigated.

       "The presumption of innocence ceased to exist as he has been convicted," he said.

       Justice Sequerah allowed the stay and ordered the respondent to pay a bond of RM3,000 in one surety.

       During mitigation earlier, Muhammad Shafee sought for Lokman not to be given a custodial sentence while ad hoc prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram pushed for prison time, saying that the contemnor showed no remorse for his actions.

       On Oct 22, 2019, Justice Sequerah granted leave for the AG to initiate committal proceedings against Lokman for contempt of court acts perpetrated on two occasions on Sept 25 of the same year.

       In the application, the AG sought an order for Lokman to be committed to prison or be fined for his actions.

       The AG said that on that date (Sept 25) the respondent (Lokman) in a video interview uttered words constituting an express or implied threat against Amhari for having given evidence against the accused in the criminal trial against the former prime minister at the High Court.

       He said on the same day, Lokman lodged the police report against Amhari in respect of the evidence given by him at Najib's ongoing criminal trial.

       The object or purpose of the respondent's said actions was to harass and intimidate Amhari, other witnesses and any potential witnesses who may come forward to give evidence against the accused in the trial, said the AG.

       On Jan 14 last year, the High Court dismissed Lokman's application to set aside the leave to initiate committal proceedings against him which was obtained by Thomas on Oct 22,2019.

       Lokman appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal but it was dismissed on May 13, last year.

       On May 18, last year, he filed for leave to appeal at the Federal Court and it was dismissed by the apex court in a unanimous decision on Jan 14 this year.