KUALA LUMPUR: A suit filed by former minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan against PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli over the Ekspo Negaraku 2017 exhibition has been settled after the latter apologised in court.

Abdul Rahman's lawyer Datuk M. Reza Hassan told High Court judge Justice Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab that the suit has been settled and both parties have signed the draft of consent judgement.

Reza said one of the terms agreed by parties was to read out the statement of apology in court.

Abdul Rahman and Rafizi, however, were not present in court on Monday (Sept 3).

Rafizi's lawyer Abdul Halim Abdul Karim read out the apology in an open court.

Justice Mohd Zaki then ordered Rafizi to pay RM20,000 in costs.

Abdul Rahman filed the suit against Rafizi for alleging that he had awarded a contract to his own “brother”.

In the lawsuit filed on Jan 30, Abdul Rahman claimed that Rafizi's statement, made at a press conference last year, was done in bad faith to tarnish his reputation.

Abdul Rahman also contended that Rafizi had later admitted his allegation was false, but had refused to apologise.

At a press conference on Dec 11, 2017, Rafizi claimed that the contract for the Economic Planning Unit's (EPU) Expo Negaraku 2017 exhibition was awarded to “Raslan”, whom he said was Abdul Rahman's brother.

Abdul Rahman was then the minister in charge of the EPU.

On the same day, Abdul Rahman held a press conference to refute Rafizi's allegation.

Present during Abdul Rahman's press conference was Nor Raslan Mohd Dahlan, who is the chief executive officer of Pico Integrated Exhibit (M) Sdn Bhd.