Lawyers claiming to represent his Indonesian-American wife Manohara Odelia, 17, have yet to respond to his RM105 million defamation suit against her and his mother-in-law Daisy Fajarina, 44.

They have to date only appeared for Manohara in a Kota Baru Syariah High Court matter in which the Tengku Temenggong Kelantan, 32, is demanding that his wife settle debts accumulated before and after their marriage totalling RM1,112,250.

Tengku Fakhry's lawyer, Mohd Haaziq Pillay, told Malay Mail yesterday: "Manohara and Daisy have made my client out to be a monster and his reputation has been tarnished.

"My client is keen to get to the truth of the matter and clear his name urgently."

Haaziq said that although Jakarta lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea had accepted service of the writ of summons recently on behalf of Manohara and Daisy, "we are unsure if he has power of attorney to do so".

The writ was served by one of Tengku Fakhry's two lawyers in Indonesia, Maulana Syarif, on the basis that Hotman has power of attorney.

Haaziq said: "Service of writ must be done personally on a defendant  or his or her lawyer.

"But Maulana served it on Hotman as he understands that the latter has power of attorney. We are guessing."

Haaziq said under Indonesian law, power of attorney can only be disclosed in court.

"We want to avoid the defendants saying the service of the writ was improper."

To further compound matters, he said, a Kuala Lumpur legal firm has yet to acknowledge if they are indeed acting for mother and daughter.

He said the legal firm failed to confirm this, as promised, by evening yesterday.

"I wanted to serve on the KL firm but they have been silent, contrary to their Press statement."

Local media reported recently that Manohara had hired two law firms to represent her in cases involving her in the Syariah courts and Civil High Court.

Khairul Nizam, a spokesman for the two law firms, said in a statement that for the cases involving the Syariah courts, Manohara will be represented by Messrs Faiz Adnan & Associates with the lead counsel being Mohd Faiz Adnan.

As for the case before the Civil High Court, he said she had hired the law firm of Messrs Fakrul Hisham Abdullah & Associates to represent her and her mother, Daisy.

Khairul said representatives from the two law firms had met up with Manohara and her mother in Jakarta before they were appointed by the family to handle the cases.

On July 5, Tengku Temenggong Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry filed two applications, one at the Syariah Lower Court and the other at Syariah High Court, both in Kota Baru, to demand that his wife return to him and settle debts she allegedly owed him that were accumulated before and after their marriage totalling RM972,750.

Two weeks ago, he amended his debt claim from his estranged wife to RM1,112,250.

Tengku Fakhry has also filed a RM105 million suit against his wife and mother-in-law in the Civil High Court for allegedly defaming him in Press conferences they held between April and June.

The prince's suit accuses Manohara and her mother of fabricating the accusations "out of spite ... motivated by a desire of financial gains".

Manohara's claims, aired at length in the Indonesian media, alleged she was slashed with razor blades, drugged and raped by the 31-year-old prince.

Manohara left her husband on May 30 after seven months of marriage while the couple was in Singapore visiting the Sultan of Kelantan who was seeking medical treatment in the island republic.

Celebrity lawyer turning it into a circus

HOTMAN: Self-professed playboy

However, they went missing as public opinion turned against mother and daughter as shocking disclosures were unleashed on the pair.

They ranged from Daisy being on the run after being sentenced to 18 months’ jail in France for subjecting her adopted daughter Shaliha to slave-like conditions and assault.

Her husband had also served four months in jail for raping Shaliha, an Indonesian, and subjecting her to inhumane conditions while they were living in France.

Celebrity lawyers Hotman Paris Hutapea and Farhat Abbas appear to be still with Manohara and Daisy.

Hotman is the standout lawyer. The jewellery-sporting, self-professed playboy who drives a Ferrari took the case to another level and turned it into a circus.

“With Hotman in a celebrity matter, there’s always the likelihood of it being turned into a circus where the media attention is equally or more important than the actual legal result being sought,” said journalist
Heryanto.

Meanwhile, Kelantan police are investigating a report that one of three lawyers, Mohd Faiz Adnan of KL-based Faiz Adnan and Associates, was neither a civil nor a syariah lawyer.

The firm also made a report at Jalan Travers police station to refute the allegation.

The person in question, the firm said, was acting as a coordinator/liaison in the Kelantan Syariah High Court when Tengku Fakhry had applied to the Syariah High Court to amend his debt claim from his estranged wife Manohara Odelia from RM972,750 to RM1,112,250.