THE Federal Court’s Office of the Chief Registrar has released CCTV footage to refute allegations that the Kuala Lumpur courts’ bail counters were closed early on Thursday last week.

The office said video footage was released to fend off accusations that the counters were closed early, causing several accused to be locked up during the long Hari Raya holidays for failing to pay bail.

On Instagram, the office released a statement that the counters were still operating until 4pm on that date.

“... the bail counters at the Kuala Lumpur Court (located opposite the Maybank ATM machines) were still operating and receiving public until 4pm,” the registrar’s office said in the Instagram post.

On April 25, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has asked court administrators to show CCTV recordings of the bail counters to prove they did not close early the day before the long Hari Raya weekend. 

Six people were forced to spend the weekend in jail after the counters were allegedly shut early on Thursday last week.

“These are serious claims and the bail counters should not be closed whenever it suits the staff manning them,” said Lim in a statement. 

“In this matter, it is better if the CCTV footage from the bail counters can be revealed so that we can ascertain if they were closed early or had remained open.”

The office said their explanation on the matter refers to a case involving 10 men who were charged with cheating on that date.

The accused’s lawyer, Alvin Tan, who was quoted in a report, claimed that the counter had been closed since 2.53pm on Thursday.

The Office of the Registrar General then in a statement on Monday explained that all six accused were granted bail by the court.

However, only four sureties appeared in court for bail, according to the statement.

No surety appeared in court for the other six until the counters closed at 4pm, the statement was quoted as saying. 

In an immediate response to the footage being made public today, Lim commended the registrar’s office in proving that the bail counters did not close early last week.

He said other government departments should also install CCTVs at front line counters for instances like this.– April 27, 2023.