Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail declined to comment further on former Kuala Lumpur CID director Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim’s remarks which came after police began investigating the sex video allegedly featuring Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a tryst with a prostitute.
“I haven’t even seen the papers,” Abdul Gani told The Malaysian Insider curtly yesterday. “How can you people publish like that?”
When pushed for a response, the country’s top prosecutor merely repeated his earlier statement that he had not seen the investigation papers.
“I haven’t even seen anything yet. That is my response,” Abdul Gani said.
While confident that the police would investigate the case professionally and impartially, Mat Zain said he had scant faith in the AG’s ability to discharge his duties without favour, citing Abdul Gani’s alleged protection of Rahim from prosecution on graft charges in 1999.
“This investigation will later be handled by Abdul Gani as the Attorney-General. It is at this stage where it is expected that manipulation, fraud and forgery will occur,” he said.
Mat Zain claimed that Abdul Gani, a senior deputy public prosecutor at the time, together with then-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and then-Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohtar Abdullah had “indemnified” Rahim from the charges in exchange for his resignation from all government and political posts.
This was despite a recommendation from the then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) that Rahim be prosecuted for four counts of corruption — three under the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance and one for making a false statutory declaration, punishable under Section 193 of the Penal Code.
Mat Zain explained that the matter first reached his hands when Anwar had sent him a copy of the ACA report against Rahim along with a police report on August 20, 1999.
The report, he explained, was classified as “official secrets” and explained that the agency had compiled enough evidence to prove a prima facie case against Rahim.
“The ACA report was validated by the prosecution division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers and signed by Abdul Gani who classified the document as ‘secret’,” he said.
“The documents were said to have been given to Anwar by the Attorney-General and/or Abdul Gani while Anwar was still the deputy prime minister.”
Anwar sacked in September 1998 on sodomy and abuse of power charges. He was convicted on both counts but was freed after appeal in 2004.
Mat Zain explained that the AG’s Chambers had wanted to classify the case under the Official Secrets Act 1972 while the police had suggested that the case be investigated under Section 2(1) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance on abuse of powers.
He added that an investigation against Rahim under the Emergency Ordinance would involve the recording of statements from Dr Mahathir, the late Mohtar, Abdul Gani and other prominent leaders.
“But on August 28, I received a letter from the AG’s Chambers addressed personally to me, specifically stating that the report Anwar lodged against Abdul Rahim would be investigated by (former IGP) Musa as Abdul Gani had supposedly lodged a report against Anwar for committing an offence under the Official Secrets Act,” said Mat Zain, referring to Anwar’s exposure of the ACA report.
“To be clearer, I can say that the report involving Abdul Rahim was hijacked by Musa Hassan from the hands of the CID,” he added.
Mat Zain, however, stressed that he had never seen the report purportedly lodged by Abdul Gani.
“And never before has the AG’s Chambers ever chosen its own investigating officer to investigate a police report,” he said.
Mat Zain, who was the investigating officer in the infamous 1998 “black-eye” case involving Anwar, has repeatedly accused Abdul Gani of being corrupt and having committed numerous offences to protect his position.
Among others, he has claimed that Abdul Gani falsified evidence in the probe against Anwar for his first sodomy trial, including the DNA evidence.
“Now, although Musa has retired, but Abdul Gani is still the AG. So when this sex video investigation reaches him, it can be expect what his stand will be, especially since this video is yet another clash between Abdul Rahim and Anwar,” he said.
Mat Zain stressed that he had no personal vendetta against Rahim but was concerned that the sex video case would see the former chief minister getting off scot-free, despite his admission to his involvement in the caper.
Rahim, along with businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, last week admitted they were behind the sex video allegedly featuring Anwar having sex with a prostitute.
Anwar has since denied he is the man in the tape and has gone on a nationwide campaign to convince voters of his innocence.
His daughter, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, had urged the authorities yesterday to act on Mat Zain’s disclosures by taking action against Abdul Gani and others said to be involved in covering the case against Rahim more than a decade ago. - Malaysian Insider
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