Sued over email with sexy pictures, offensive content

KUALA LUMPUR: A consultant is suing a public listed company, its subsidiary and three of its workers for RM30mil over alleged defamation, sexual harassment and abuse of power.

Datuk Baharruddin Hamzah, 33, has named Petroliam Nasional Bhd, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PC),PC engineer Mohd Arshad Ahmad Nawawi, 37, PC receiving officer Alinah Ahmad Shah, 41, PC officer Nasrum Mohamad, 29, as defendants in his civil suit.

He filed the suit at the High Court (civil) registry under the law firm of Shaari Nor & Co with the presence of his lawyers at about 3pm on Tuesday.

He had also stated his company, Abyssina Builders (M) Sdn Bhd, a contractor involved in the oil and gas industry, as another plaintiff.

In the statement of claim, he said that Mohd Arshad had sent two e-mail messages containing an article and three photographs of half-naked women to his wife, who is his company's chief executive officer, using Petroliam Nasional Bhd's domain on July 29, last year.

He said Mohd Arshad had sent another e-mail on the same date that contained "offensive wordings."

He claimed that he came to know about the circulation of such indecent material and article on the same date when he was holidaying in Malacca with his children.

He further claimed that he was shocked and that the act had resulted him having a fight with his wife who later left their matrimonial home and divorced him on Sept 11 last year.

The divorce had resulted in his 12-year-old daughter coming under the custody of his wife, while he retained custody of his two sons aged seven and 11.

He claimed that such e-mail had caused his children to suffer emotional disturbance, loss of love, depression, the companionship of his parents and had affected their education.

He claimed that he suffered public scandal, loss of reputation, ridicule, odium and contempt.

Among others, Baharruddin said Alinah had purposely sent an e-mail on Aug 1 last year to his wife containing four indecent photographs.

The plaintiffs said his company continued to receive such e-mail for several days from June 11 this year.

He said the actions of the Mohd Arshad and Alinah showed abuse of power given by PC to send such e-mail using the official e-mail domain of Petroliam Nasional Bhd.

He said a police report on the name of his company over the matter had been lodged at Bukit Aman on Aug 8.

Speaking to reporters, Baharruddin said he decided to file the suit as "it is a question over ethics".

"It is a cheap e-mail being circulated around by the company's staff. My children had seen the photographs and it is really embarrassing.

"I decided to put a stop to this. It is also a sort of punishment," he said after his two sons held posters condemning the act of sending such e-mail after the filing of the suit at the court premises here.

He is seeking to get RM10mil each for alleged abuse of power, defamation and sexual harassment.

He is also seeking for a declaration that the public listed company and its subsidiary was responsible for their staff's actions and others costs deemed fit by the court.