KUALA LUMPUR: The hearing of contempt proceedings involving former UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who was accused of insulting a court policeman and questioning the court system in the trial of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been postponed to Aug 17 as the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) is down with COVID-19.

DPP Mohd Isa Mohamed informed High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah that DPP Izalina Abdullah, who handled the case from the very beginning, was infected with the virus yesterday and had to be self-quarantined for a week.

"Hence, My Lord, I requested today's proceedings to be postponed to another date," said Mohd Isa.

Lawyer K. Balaguru, representing Lokman did not object to the postponement.

On June 30, Lokman was issued a show-cause notice by Judge Sequerah for verbally abusing a court policeman and questioning the country's legal system at the trial of Ahmad Zahid.

This was after DPP Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran raised the incident involving Lokman and asked the court to cite for him for contempt against the 49-year-old politician.

-- BERNAMA