NFC case: Rafizi Ramli to stand trial after court strikes out appeal

Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif, leading a five-member panel, ruled that the Federal Court did not have the jurisdiction to hear Mohd Rafizi's appeal as the case had originated from the Sessions Court.

With the ruling, the PKR secretary-general has to stand trial in the Sessions Court for allegedly violating the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia).

Justice Md Raus set tomorrow for the case to be mentioned at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.

The panel also comprised Federal Court judges Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop, Datuk Zainun Ali, Tan Sri Jeffrey Tan Kok Wha and Datuk Seri Abu Samah Nordin.

Mohd Rafizi, 38, was charged in August 2012 at Shah Alam Sessions Court with revealing four Public Bank customer-profile documents to unauthorised individuals.

The documents consisted of balance summaries relating to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and NFC chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail.

He allegedly disclosed the contents to media consultant Yusuf Abdul Alim and The Star reporter Erle Martin Carvalho at the PKR's headquarters at Merchant Square in Petaling Jaya on March 7, 2012.

Mohd Rafizi applied on Sept 10, 2012 to strike out the charge and it was rejected by Shah Alam High Court on Nov 23, 2012.

On May 23, 2013, the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal on the ground that it had no merit.

At the outset, deputy public prosecutor Nahra Dollah objected to Mohd Rafizi's appeal, saying that the matter could not proceed at the Federal Court as the case originated from the Sessions Court.

"This matter which originated in the Sessions Court must only end in the Court of Appeal and not go beyond that," she said.