AG must direct police to probe RM9.5 million bank transfer, says MP

Gobind Singh Deo says Apandi Ali must intervene as police reports have been made, adding that it is the job of the police to investigate each and every report made.

KUALA LUMPUR: Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali should direct the police to start investigations into reports lodged that a lawyer had allegedly received RM9.5 million from the prime minister’s personal bank account, an opposition MP said.

Gobind Singh Deo, who is Puchong MP, said every report lodged by the public should be given equal weight and treatment.

“The AG must intervene. I don’t see why he must remain silent,” he told reporters after attending a court proceeding here.

Gobind, who is a lawyer, said this in response to at least three reports lodged by PPBM and PKR leaders two weeks ago following a claim by Sarawak Report that RM9.5 million had been transferred from Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal bank account to lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s bank account.

Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar dismissed the allegations, saying police would not investigate the matter since it was deemed to be hearsay.

The top cop had also said Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown could come to Malaysia to give her statement but police would not guarantee her a safe passage.

Gobind had shot back at Khalid, saying it was for the AG, who is public prosecutor, and the courts, to decide if any case was mere hearsay or not, after investigations had been completed.

“He has no right to decide what is hearsay and what is not when it comes to any allegations about which police reports have been lodged,” Gobind had said.

Gobind today said Apandi should direct the investigating officer to proceed with the case and probe the matter to the best of his ability.

“The investigation papers will (then) be referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to decide whether action should be taken,” he added.

He said Khalid should not decide whether investigation should be carried out.

Gobind said usually a police officer would have been assigned to investigate the case once a report had been made.

Lawyer S N Nair also said police officers could be sent to London to record a statement from Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown to start the probe.

He said Rewcastle-Brown could not be compelled to come to Malaysia on her own expenses.

Rewcastle-Brown is reported to have said that Malaysian police were free to see her in the UK if they wished to speak to her.

The report said that the RM9.5 million was made out in two payments, on September 2013 and February 2014.

On June 9, asked about the allegation, Shafee had told FMT: “I will issue a statement, but not today.”

Shafee, who was appointed ad-hoc prosecutor in July 2013, secured the conviction of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy in the Court of Appeal in March the following year.

The Federal Court affirmed the conviction and the five year jail term in 2015.
In 2012, the High Court, after a lengthy trial, acquitted Anwar of the sexual misconduct crime which led the government to file an appeal. -FMT