Choy-Chong-Iking Saga: A Case of Prosecutorial Misconduct?

March 13, 2011

The Darren Choy-Ryan Chong-Daphne Iking Saga: A Case of Prosecutorial Misconduct?

by Din Merican

On the face of it, it would appear to be a case of a beautiful and seductive woman being torn between two lovers. Not so. It could be a serious issue of prosecutorial misconduct. This is why I have decided to write this article.

In Todays The Star, Darren Choy Khin Ming, the corporate figure charged for enticing celebrity TV presenter, Daphne Iking, gave his side of the story.

Darren Choy shot back at Ikings former husband, also another corporate tycoon, Ryan Chong Yiing Yih, for portraying his apology as a victory. While I previously had little sympathy for Darren Choy for enticing another mans wife, my feelings somewhat changed at reading his version of things.

I thought it was fairly honorable for Darren Choy to acknowledge his infidelities and mistakes, of his wifes support, but yet refused to be drawn into further controversy. It gave a different picture of the real Ryan Chong who went to court and to great lengths just to show that he had the power to destroy Darren Choy and Daphne Iking by publicly humiliating both of them.

According to Darren Choy, Ryans objectives to destroy them was stated as a matter of public record, in the divorce petition between Ryan Cong and Daphne Iking. Ryan Chongs motives had impacted many lives and by washing dirty linen in public like this, it certainly had its repercussions. In Darrens own words Many innocent lives have been hurt by this saga and we should let bygones be bygones.

This whole case became more absurd when in the middle of the case, after a trial of two years, it was reported that Daphne Iking had converted to Islam and married a Malay Muslim businessman, Azmi Abdul Rahman. So neither men, Darren Choy nor Ryan Chong, got Daphne and instead a third man became her husband!

The saga which started two years ago already raised public puzzlement when Ryan Chong dragged Darren Choy to court in a private prosecution under Section 498 of the Penal Code for enticing or taking away or detaining with a criminal intent a married woman. The two-year court case ended when Darren Choy apologised to Ryan Chong in the magistrates court for causing him embarrassment. Following that, Ryan Chong had reportedly said that all he wanted was an apology from Darren Choy. The fact that this case went on after Ryan Chong and Daphne Iking had officially divorced last year made it simply absurd.

All just for an apology

What is this case all about then? With so many serious crimes unresolved in the country, how did this case ever come to court in the first place? Why were public funds and facilities wasted to satiate the anger of a jealous husband out to destroy his former wife and her so-called enticer? And all these troubles and wastage of public facilities just for a public apology? Who paid for the court costs, the hundreds of hours that the magistrate spent hearing the case that closed with a whimper?

This is a prosecutorial misconduct, a prosecution scandal! Beyond that, this is another example of the abuses by A-G Gani Patail of his powers as the Public Prosecutor under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution. How much more abuses are we to tolerate of this A-G?!