FROM PM TO SUSPECT NO.1 : Americk's bombshell a game-changer for Najib

Americk Sidhu's statement at the Malaysian Bar AGM on Saturday that Tan Sri Cecil Abraham has confirmed to him that he produced PI Bala's second SD on the instructions of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is a game-changer.

This statement clearly implicates Prime Minister Najib Razak in the commission of the serious offence of fabricating false evidence and suborning perjury (getting private investigator P. Balasubramaniam to lie in the second statutory declaration). The seriousness of this lies in the fact that this false evidence was created by the Prime Minister to hide something from the public about the murder of Altantuya.

This information of Najib's involvement in the 2nd SD is not new. It was first announced by by Deepak Jaikishan in November last year and he also mentioned Rosmah's involvement.

Game-changer

The game has now changed for Najib because Americk's statement will be seen as credible and clearly capable of belief. Nobody can challenge the credibility of Americk in the way that Deepak's credibility was questioned by some persons.

Tan Sri Cecil Abraham has denied Americk's statement - that was to be expected - it does not change the fact that Americk's explosive expose now urges serious and immediate investigation as to the role of the Prime Minister in this brutal murder.

Prime Minister Najib must note that the public now know from Bala's, Deepak's and Americk's evidence of the following strands of evidence that link back to him and wife Rosmah Mansor and which warrant explanations from both of them.

These include firstly, the presence of Nasir Safar, Najib's former private secretary in front of Razak Baginda's house the night of the murder; secondly, the role of Musa Safiri, Najib's ADC in his phone conversations with Sirul and Azilah and also with Razak Baginda; thirdly, what did the PM mean when he sms'd to Razak Baginda just before he was arrested that he was seeing the IGP "to take care of it"; fourthly, the role of Nazim Razak in meeting and intimidating Bala into making the 2nd SD; and fifthly, the statement by Deepak that he was instructed by Rosmah and Najib to get Bala to retract his SD; and sixthly, Americk's statement that Cecil Abraham told him that the SD was done by him on Najib's instructions.

Silence will be taken as admission of guilt

Najib has no choice but to make a detailed response. If he doesn't, it is tantamount to an admission of guilt. He must remember that the issue is not just about who are the principals in the Altantuya murder who ordered the killing but his name is now directly implicated in the serous crime of organising a cover-up job through Bala's second SD.

Americk's statement on Saturday also provides a basis for fresh police reports to be made against Najib by concerned citizens; of course whether the police will take any action at all is a separate question.

It is clear the integrity of the nation, its government, its key institutions such as the police and judiciary are on the line once again.

Umno-BN should do well to remember that as the government of the country, they should safeguard Malaysia's reputation and not darken it by assisting in any cover-up for any leader in any crime.

If Najib does not respond or give a satisfactory explanation, Umno-BN must ask itself whether it can carry on with a leader who cannot give credible answers ( and not bare denials) to such serious allegations. The allegations are too serious and there is no easy way out.

Sivarasa Rasiah is the PKR vice president and MP for Subang