Mat Zain stands by SD despite court's rejection

Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim is standing by his statutory declaration (SD) despite it not being admissible as evidence in the Sodomy II appeal case.

Mat Zain repeated his call to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to form a team to investigate allegations he made in the SD.

"I am prepared to be investigated, no matter how many times, and guarantee to cooperate in providing all information that has yet to be revealed.

"In fact, I am prepared to face justice if I have breached any law," he said in a statement today.

Mat Zain had, on Oct 7, made an SD alleging that senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (right) had knowledge about Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail's purported wrongdoings.

The SD was used by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's defence team to file an application todisqualify Shafee from the Sodomy II appeal prosecution team.

"If my SD cannot be used, why did Shafee make two affidavits, on Dec 10 and Dec 18, to rebut every paragraph of it (SD)?" he said.

Mat Zain also queried why Shafee had launched personal attacks against him, including accusing the former top cop of using a false  identity card number on the SD, and other alleged inaccuracies in those affidavits.

Plot to throw Anwar in jail?

Shafee, in his affidavits to counter Anwar's disqualification application, denied Mat Zain's allegations and raised doubts about the former cop's credibility.

The senior lawyer also suggested that Mat Zain was conspiring with Anwar to assist in the latter's case.

The Court of Appeal todaydismissed the application of Anwar's (left), ruling that the SD was "hearsay" and could not be admissible as evidence.

Mat Zain, in his statement today, said if the blacking out of his IC number in the SD was an issue, Shafee could have obtained the unblotted-out copy from the prime minister, inspector-general of police or solicitor-general.

In the SD, Mat Zain claimed he learnt about the matter of Gani’s alleged wrongdoings during a meeting with Shafee, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mahathir's former political secretary Mathias Chang and former Commercial CID chief Ramli Yusuf.

Mat Zain had said that he did not know the motive of the meeting, which took place at Mahathir's residence on Aug 10, but his claims have raised speculation about a plot to oust Gani as attorney-general.

However, Mat Zain now claims that there could be a plot to put Anwar behind bars.

"...I now dare say that there is indeed a plot, but not to oust Gani as attorney-general but to convict Anwar Ibrahim in the Sodomy II case," he said.