12 June 2009

Manohara Odelia Pinot -- Part VIII -- The Prince Fights Back


I don't know whether this case warrants as much attention as it is getting generally and the attention it is getting from me in particular. Nevertheless, not wanting to wallow in someone else's pain and tragedy, there are intriguing and interesting issues at play in this case and they deserve some attention. These issues have been noted in the earlier posts, I through VII, but now the prince has filed his own complaint with Malaysian police. Does this up the ante or is it just a formality?

I had hinted in earlier posts that I would have expected that the prince, Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry (photo from here), to take legal action against Manohara and her mother, Daisy Fajarina. I am not Malaysian and therefore do not know where Dang Wangi Police Headquarters are, but this is where the prince filed his complaint according to Mohammad Haziq Pillay, lawyer for the prince.

The contents of the complaint have not been divulged, but an educated guess would be that the substance of the complaint would be that the allegations being made by Manohara and Daisy are false. That is to say, there was no kidnapping, no physical abuse, and no rape. This would be in spite of the forensic reports offered up by doctors stating the injuries sustained by Manohara. So, it would seem that if the allegations are unfounded then this would be a case of defamation or slander.

This now gets interesting as it seems we have two criminal complaints made, one each by the respective parties, in different jurisdictions. Now, the question is obviously, "what next?" Perhaps, each side just keeps fighting this out in the court of public opinion. If this is the case then I would be thinking that the prince is on a hiding to nothing and perhaps should consider settling the claims out of court and both parties move on.

I still do not think that domestic violence cases are best settled out of court with a financial payment, but then again I am not an abuser nor am I a victim. If they settle the case then I am going to have to find something else to write about.