KOTA KINABALU: A Sarawakian man pleaded not guilty at the magistrate's court here to a charge of defaming a High Court judge five years ago.
Shaffarizan Mohamad, 50, who appeared before Magistrate Lovely Natasha Charles, was charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code.
He was accused of slandering Datuk Mairin Idang, 69, by recording and spreading a video online knowing that it would damage the then judge's good reputation on July 9, 2018 at 3.30pm at the High Court office in Jalan Kampung Air, near here.
He faces up to two years' jail, a fine or both upon conviction.
Inspector Kelvan Elson Maik, who prosecuted, proposed bail at RM4,000 with two local sureties.
In reply, the unrepresented accused told the court that he had no problem with the bail offered by the prosecution.
The court allowed the accused to be released on RM2,500 bail with a local surety pending disposal of his case.
The court fixed March 7 for pre-trial case management.