KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail - who was sued for abuse of power and malicious prosecution along with 10 others - has filed a defence more than a year after two cases of legal suits involving damages of some RM176 million (S$63 million) were filed against them.

The lawsuits were filed by corporate lawyer Rosli Dahlan and former commercial crime investigation chief Datuk Ramli Yusuf in November 2013 against Abdul Gani and the rest citing alleged malicious prosecution over corruption charges, The Malaysian Insider news website reported. Both have since been cleared of the charges.

High Court judge Vazeer Alam in April last year dismissed an application to strike out Rosli and Ramli's suit, ordering that the matter be brought to trial.

The defendants had been ordered by the judge on May 28,to file their defence within 30 days to allow the trial to proceed.

A six-page defence document was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry on July 10.

The website cited Rosli's lawyer as saying her client would respond to the defence before the case is next heard on July 29.

Rosli in his suit is claiming over RM47 million over a conspiracy to arrest and charge him in court in a 2007 case over an alleged failure to declare his assets. Meanwhile, Ramli is claiming at least RM128 million in damages citing alleged malicious and false investigations into graft.