Police ‘shooting in messenger’ in WSJ report – Ramkarpal Singh

The statement today by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar that police will investigate all members of the special task force currently investigating the veracity of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that billions of ringgit had been channelled into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's accounts is an indication that the said task force itself is suspect which casts serious doubts into the integrity of its investigations.

That the members of the said special task force, of which he is a member, need to be investigated shifts the focus of its primary aim, namely, whether or not the allegations of the said channelling of funds by WSJ into the prime minister’s accounts are true.

It is most unfortunate that the IGP, instead, chooses to focus his attention on alleged leakages of information to WSJ which resulted in these serious exposes.

Shooting the messenger ought not to be the central focus of investigations at this stage as the IGP is well aware that the evidence pertaining to such embezzlement, if any, is admissible in a court of law, even if obtained illegally.

In other words, even if the information which forms the basis of WSJ’s exposes were leaked, it makes no difference as such documents and records can still be used in the prosecution of those implicated provided, of course, they are genuine and authentic.

I had called on the IGP to record a statement from the prime minister on his alleged involvement in the said WSJ allegations.

It is most regretful that to date, as far as I am aware, the IGP has failed to do so despite this being an elementary part of the investigation process.

Why has it been so difficult to obtain a statement from the prime minister?

After all, as I have said before, such statement would possibly exculpate the prime minister to his benefit and put to rest the nagging questions in most people’s minds, namely, whether the prime minister held such accounts at Ambank and whether the alleged US$700 million was in fact deposited into same.

In the circumstances, I, again, call upon the IGP to record the prime minister’s statement as a true reflection of the transparency of investigations into the matter.

His failure to do so would certainly raise suspicion as to whether the focus of attention in the investigation process is centred on the allegations hurled at 1MDB and the prime minister or at those who might have leaked such information.

The IGP can ill-afford such a perception since he himself seems to recognise that public confidence of the said special task force is waning having regard to his statement that they themselves are under investigation.

* Ramkarpal Singh is Bukit Gelugor MP.