KUALA LUMPUR: The defence in Raja Petra Kamarudin's criminal defamation trial yesterday applied to the Sessions Court to issue subpoenas to six witnesses.

Lead counsel Manjeet Singh Dhillon said the first two were Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, who are charged at the Shah Alam High Court with murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Manjeet said: "I submit that the contents of Raja Petra's statutory declaration and the charges in this case are related to the murder case in Shah Alam. I suggest the case is put on hold until the hearing in Shah Alam is completed."

Deputy public prosecutor An-selm Charles Fernandis objected as the prosecution had not called its witnesses.

Judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat agreed with the prosecution.
Raja Petra, 58, faces three counts of criminal defamation over a statutory declaration on the murder of Altantuya.

He is alleged to have defamed the deputy prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, by making a libellous statement in the declaration, which he affirmed on June 18, when he knew that it would tarnish her good name.

Raja Petra was also charged with defaming Colonel Norhayati Hassan and her husband, acting Col Abdul Aziz Buyong.

He is alleged to have committed the offences at the High Court Civil 5 at the Jalan Duta court complex at 10.25am on June 18.

Yesterday, when the cases were called, Manjeet raised a preliminary objection saying that the cases should not have been transferred from the magistrate's court as Raja Petra would likely face a stiffer punishment.