Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi gave N Sundra Rajoo a 24-hour reprieve following his no-show at court despite the prosecution having registered the charges and attempting to communicate with him.

“We will give him another 24 hours to be present after the High Court proceedings,” she said.

Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Bahrain Omar earlier applied for a warrant of arrest against Sundra, which was rejected.

Meanwhile lawyer K Shanmuga, who is representing Sundra in the High Court matter, said he was present at today’s proceeding as a friend of the court.

Kamal told reporters that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was unable to contact Sundra but had left a notice at his house requesting him to be present in court today.

“We do not want to arrest him as he was picked up earlier by MACC for investigations,” he added.

This follows Sundra’s protest yesterday at plans to charge him over acts allegedly committed during his time in office, a day before before his attempt to assert immunity from the High Court.

Sundra reiterated that as a former high officer of the AIAC, he has immunity from any legal action taken against him concerning his period of service.

The High Court is scheduled to hear a leave application for judicial review by Sundra amid efforts by the authorities to remove the immunity he claims to enjoy from criminal investigation and prosecution.

Sundra, who was head of the AIAC from 2010 until late last year, filed the application in the Kuala Lumpur High Court early this month.

The 63-year-old is seeking a declaration that, as a high officer of the AIAC, he is entitled to protection for acts and omissions in his official capacity.

Sundra, a FIFA Ethics Committee judge, was held overnight in November after flying in from Zurich, where FIFA has its headquarters.

He was released after a magistrate dismissed an application for a remand order by MACC on grounds that he has diplomatic immunity as head of the AIAC.