HGP Nightly News – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed on Monday alleged political interference and deliberate sabotage after a magistrate withdrew an arrest warrant that had been issued when he arrived late for court earlier in the day.
Speaking to reporters outside the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Mohamed insisted he has consistently complied with court schedules, saying he has attended more than a dozen hearings and had previously been late only once. “I think I attended this court more than 12 times. I always would be here before,” he said, adding that the only prior delay was “9:02 a.m., two minutes past.”
He noted that after that earlier instance, the court warned him to ensure punctuality. “From that day, I never, ever attended court later,” he stated. Mohamed said he had called one of his attorneys, Damien De Silva, early Monday morning to ensure the legal team arrived on time. However, he alleged that the vehicle he intended to use was found with both tyres slashed shortly before departure.
“The driver called me … he told me both tyres are slashed on the car,” Mohamed said, explaining that the damage prevented him from reaching court on schedule. He further claimed that he has been relying on staff vehicles to attend court because his own vehicles have been unavailable. “The insurance companies … are not renewing the insurances,” he alleged, attributing this to actions by the government, though he offered no evidence.
Mohamed also asserted that a similar incident occurred weeks earlier on another court date. “One tyre was slashed … but this time two wheels were slashed,” he said. The opposition figure accused elements of the state’s security apparatus of orchestrating the damage to delay him and create grounds for legal action.
“I suspect that the special branch … did this purposely so I can arrive court late,” he alleged without providing proof. The magistrate later withdrew the arrest warrant, allowing proceedings against Mohamed to continue.
