Nazri: I did not interfere with probe

With public criticism coming hard and fast after the Home Ministry confirmed that his son was in the clear, Nazri Aziz today clarified that he did not interfere with police investigations.

PETALING JAYA: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has denied accusations that he misused his position to influence the outcome of the criminal investigation involving his son.

“I did not interfere at all in the investigations,” the de facto law minister told FMT today.

However, Nazri declined to comment on the cases itself, pointing out that it would be a conflict of interest to do so given his ministerial position.

“I can’t comment because that is my son… I cannot be using my government post to say something that may be favourable to my son,” he explained.

He also said that since the parliamentary reply had come from the home minister himself, and not something from his ministry, he was not in a position to clarify.

“The answer [regarding his son] came from the home minster. I’m not the home minister. I wouldn’t know anything about it,” he added.

On a similar note, Nazri also said that he did not blame the public for being interested in the case.

“There is nothing I can do. I am a very important person. I am very influential. My children know this and we all [my family] know that their lives will always be affected. We have to face such public scrutiny. This is something we have to accept,” he added.

The minister said that he did not feel that it was unfair that people questioned the cases.

“I don’t think it’s unfair. When it came out in the papers today, and I just found out, I realised that public scrutiny will always be there. If I cannot take it, I leave politics,” he said.

Nazri said that neutral parties, such as the police investigators, should clarify the facts of the case.

Asked if the media could interview his son, Nazri said: “He would (most likely) be bias, and defend himself. I think there is no need. Go to the neutral authorities. Talk to the police, don’t talk to me.”

Opposition leaders raise questions

On Wednesday, the Home Ministry confirmed that Nazri’s son, Mohamed Nedim, was not involved in an assault case in March this year and a murder in 2004.

The parliamentary written reply to a question posed by Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo-Burne stated that Mohamed Nedim’s bodyguard, and not him, was the one involved in the alleged assault of a security supervisor at a luxury condominium in March 2012.

The home minister’s statement also said that the case had been “settled amicably by both parties”.

Loh’s had also asked about the murder of one Darren Kang at the Uncle Don restaurant in Sri Hartamas, to which the Home Ministry had said investigations by the police had found that Mohamed Nedim was not involved.

Five Thai nationals were found guilty after being charged and convicted for five years by the court, it said.

On March 20, it was claimed that Mohamed Nedim assaulted a security supervisor at the condominium in Mont Kiara following a “minor altercation”.

It was alleged that Mohamed Nedim’s actions, where he had choked the supervisor before landing a punch on his head, were captured on CCTV. However, the police later said that the video footage showed that the minister’s son was not involved.

PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin had previously brought up the incident of Kang, alleging that Nazri’s son was involved. It was reported that Nazri’s son was among those police had questioned over the case.

Earlier today, PKR and DAP had both questioned the assault case, and whether it was right for the Home Ministry to clear Nazri’s son, questioning if the case was closed because it involved a Umno minister’s family member.