The High Court in Penang today ordered the now-defunct news portal FZ.com and its managing editor Terence Fernandez to pay a total of RM320,000 to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and businessperson Tan Kok Ping for defamation.

The defamation suit involved an article titled "MACC begins probe on Merc purchase," written by Fernandez and published by FZ.com on Jan 3, 2014.

The article stated that the commission was allegedly trying to establish a link between the Penang government’s purchase of a silver Mercedes-Benz S300L from Lowe Motors Sdn Bhd, and Tan, who was then believed to have a stake in the company.

However, on the same day, the MACC denied issuing a statement that it had started probing the purchase of the vehicle for Lim.

Justice Abdul Wahab Mohamed ordered FZ Sdn Bhd and Fernandez (photo) to pay RM150,000 to Lim and RM100,000 to Tan in general damages, and RM35,000 each for legal costs.

During the trial, Lim had denied being probed by the MACC, adding that the article painted him as "corrupt, dishonest, untrustworthy and not fit to be a leader".

He also refuted the alleged "privileged relationship" with Tan, then the head of Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

"The court found the article defamatory as it did not seek the comments from the plaintiffs before it was uploaded online," Lim's lawyer N Mureli told reporters outside court.

Lim had been criticised over the tax-exempt purchase of the Mercedes at the discounted price of RM298,263.75, from the original price of RM657,218.

Tan, who was represented by lawyer Christina Siew and Goh Chek Kang, had also filed the suit against The Edge Communications, then owner of FZ.com.

Fernandez told reporters he would discuss filing an appeal with his lawyers.