Courtesy of Malaysiakini:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/224048
Najib instructed Cecil on SD2, Bar AGM told
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Senior lawyer Cecil Abraham has allegedly admitted acting on Najib Abdul Razak's instructions to prepare the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam’s controversial second statutory declaration (SD).
Bala's lawyer Americk Sidhu revealed this during the Malaysian Bar annual general meeting (AGM) today in Kuala Lumpur.
The AGM was debating a motion on setting up an independent committee to investigate who had drafted the second SD.
"Cecil met me and admitted to drafting the second SD without Bala's instructions. The instructions came from Najib," he had said at the closed-door meeting.
The revelation has set cyberspace abuzz, with some lawyers tweeting the matter and reporting that Americk (right) had received a standing ovation for his disclosure.
Several lawyers when met outside the AGM venue told Malaysiakini they can corroborate Americk’s claim, saying the latter met Abraham two weeks ago.
Abraham however refused to comment on the matter when asked by Malaysiakini in January.
'Najib must respond'
In an immediate response, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo called on Prime Minister Najib, who was deputy prime minister at the time the two SDs were issued, to answer to Americk’s allegation.
He also slammed the Bar Council for its sluggish actions.
“The Bar Council should also tell us why there has been a delay in the probe into this complaint.
“The Bar Council is obviously unusually slow in its probe of this matter,” said Gobind in a statement today.
It has been alleged that Bala's second SD, made to retract his first SD that implicated Najib in the case of the murdered Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu, was on the order of higher-ups.
A group of lawyers had proposed a motion at the AGM today to call on the Bar to probe the lawyer involved in the preparation of the second SD.
In a dramatic turn of events, Bala passed away yesterday, reportedly from a heart attack.
Lawyers at the AGM today also made donations to Bala's family and the total RM18,500 in collections was passed to Americk to be given to Bala’s widow.
A sleepless night for Americk
Americk, when met after the AGM, said he had spent a sleepless night yesterday and admitted to breaking a promise in revealing what he had at the meeting.
However, he said he wanted to carry on with Balasubramaniam's quest for justice and this is not for himself but for the dead Mongolian woman (Altantuya Shaariibuu) who the private investigator had met briefly.
"I informed the AGM after much torment of a sleepless night."
He said approximately two weeks ago he had a meeting with Cecil at a restaurant near his office. It was a mutual meeting arranged by another lawyer.
"Cecil admitted to me that he was the one who drafted the second SD and that he was under Najib's instructions to do so. Cecil apologised to me for it and I accepted his apology," he said.
Americk also said he told the AGM he was not interested in lodging a complaint with the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board as this was not his agenda.
He pointed out that they had been saying all along that Corporal Sirul (Azhar Umar) and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were acting under orders.
"If you look at Sirul's 112 cautioned statements, he categorically had said that they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to get rid of this woman.
"The question here is who ordered it. Why the chain of command was not brought up in court. We have Musa Safri (Najib's former aide de camp), their superior officer, but he was never introduced as a witness.
"That is the agenda today - to bring this up to everybody. It is not hearsay evidence as I was told this by Cecil and he cannot deny it.
"I have no agenda against Cecil. I will not pursue this matter. I have achieved what I had to achieve - that is to find out who was behind the second SD," he said.
Not proud to have broken his promise
Americk said he had broken his promise and admitted at the AGM that he was not proud of revealing it and had balanced the situation with what Balasubramaniam was fighting for.
In Balasubramaniam's memory, he said that he had to do this (to reveal what had transpired) so it was necessary for him to press on with his quest.
“I told Bala before he died that Cecil (left) had confessed to it and he was quite happy about it.
"I told him to let nature takes its course. He agreed with me and I have to continue with this for Balasubramaniam,” he added.
Asked on the options available to the Bar, he said that their investigations were on-going and there were other witnesses, such as carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan, who had filed a suit.
Americk said Deepak’s suit details the second circumstances of events leading to the second statutory declaration.
Donplaypuks with Statutory Declarations and murder, man!
Bala's lawyer Americk Sidhu revealed this during the Malaysian Bar annual general meeting (AGM) today in Kuala Lumpur.
The AGM was debating a motion on setting up an independent committee to investigate who had drafted the second SD.
"Cecil met me and admitted to drafting the second SD without Bala's instructions. The instructions came from Najib," he had said at the closed-door meeting.The revelation has set cyberspace abuzz, with some lawyers tweeting the matter and reporting that Americk (right) had received a standing ovation for his disclosure.
Several lawyers when met outside the AGM venue told Malaysiakini they can corroborate Americk’s claim, saying the latter met Abraham two weeks ago.
Abraham however refused to comment on the matter when asked by Malaysiakini in January.
'Najib must respond'
In an immediate response, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo called on Prime Minister Najib, who was deputy prime minister at the time the two SDs were issued, to answer to Americk’s allegation.
He also slammed the Bar Council for its sluggish actions.
“The Bar Council should also tell us why there has been a delay in the probe into this complaint.
“The Bar Council is obviously unusually slow in its probe of this matter,” said Gobind in a statement today.It has been alleged that Bala's second SD, made to retract his first SD that implicated Najib in the case of the murdered Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu, was on the order of higher-ups.
A group of lawyers had proposed a motion at the AGM today to call on the Bar to probe the lawyer involved in the preparation of the second SD.
In a dramatic turn of events, Bala passed away yesterday, reportedly from a heart attack.
Lawyers at the AGM today also made donations to Bala's family and the total RM18,500 in collections was passed to Americk to be given to Bala’s widow.
A sleepless night for Americk
Americk, when met after the AGM, said he had spent a sleepless night yesterday and admitted to breaking a promise in revealing what he had at the meeting.
However, he said he wanted to carry on with Balasubramaniam's quest for justice and this is not for himself but for the dead Mongolian woman (Altantuya Shaariibuu) who the private investigator had met briefly.
"I informed the AGM after much torment of a sleepless night."
He said approximately two weeks ago he had a meeting with Cecil at a restaurant near his office. It was a mutual meeting arranged by another lawyer.
"Cecil admitted to me that he was the one who drafted the second SD and that he was under Najib's instructions to do so. Cecil apologised to me for it and I accepted his apology," he said.
Americk also said he told the AGM he was not interested in lodging a complaint with the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board as this was not his agenda.
He pointed out that they had been saying all along that Corporal Sirul (Azhar Umar) and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were acting under orders.
"If you look at Sirul's 112 cautioned statements, he categorically had said that they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to get rid of this woman.
"The question here is who ordered it. Why the chain of command was not brought up in court. We have Musa Safri (Najib's former aide de camp), their superior officer, but he was never introduced as a witness.
"That is the agenda today - to bring this up to everybody. It is not hearsay evidence as I was told this by Cecil and he cannot deny it.
"I have no agenda against Cecil. I will not pursue this matter. I have achieved what I had to achieve - that is to find out who was behind the second SD," he said.
Not proud to have broken his promise
Americk said he had broken his promise and admitted at the AGM that he was not proud of revealing it and had balanced the situation with what Balasubramaniam was fighting for.
In Balasubramaniam's memory, he said that he had to do this (to reveal what had transpired) so it was necessary for him to press on with his quest.
“I told Bala before he died that Cecil (left) had confessed to it and he was quite happy about it."I told him to let nature takes its course. He agreed with me and I have to continue with this for Balasubramaniam,” he added.
Asked on the options available to the Bar, he said that their investigations were on-going and there were other witnesses, such as carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan, who had filed a suit.
Americk said Deepak’s suit details the second circumstances of events leading to the second statutory declaration.
Donplaypuks with Statutory Declarations and murder, man!
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