Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the arrest of former PetroSaudi International director Xavier Andre Justo was ‘suspicious’. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 27, 2015.Sabah speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak today questioned Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's motive for defending former PetroSaudi International director Xavier Andre Justo, after the former prime minster voiced suspicion over the man's arrest.
"Why is Dr Mahathir trying to protect Justo? If Justo is innocent then surely the Thai police will release him. Why is Dr Mahathir suggesting that Justo is an innocent victim?" Salleh (pic, right) said in his blog today, responding to Dr Mahathirremark that Justo’s arrest was "suspicious".
"Does Dr Mahathir know something the rest of the world doesn’t? Or is Dr Mahathir worried that Justo might spill the beans and implicate others involved in this crime?" he said.
Thai police on Tuesday announced the arrest of the 49-year-old at a house in the Thai island resort of Koh Samui.
Justo was reportedly paid some RM15 million to leave PetroSaudi and is now accused of asking for more money in an attempt to blackmail the oil company over its deals with 1MDB.
Thai media reported that Justo has denied this.
Salleh said by suggesting that Thai police could not be trusted, Dr Mahathir had insinuated that they were corrupt.
"We have to be very careful about such allegations in case we start a diplomatic incident with a neighbouring country.
"I remember back in 1998 when Dr Mahathir got very upset when foreign reporters wrote that the Malaysian police fixed Anwar up on fabricated charges at the behest of the prime minister.
"Is not what Dr Mahathir doing exactly the same?" he asked.
The Sabah Umno deputy liaison chief said it seemed like Dr Mahathir had more to hide than 1MDB.
"If Dr Mahathir wants the truth then let us seek the truth. But the truth needs to be sought the proper way and not Dr Mahathir’s way. After all, he does not have a monopoly on truth."
He also hit out at the statesman for accusing the entire Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of being biased, saying that his arguments were illogical.
Dr Mahathir had said those who criticised DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua for being biased should realise that the bipartisan panel mostly comprised biased Umno MPs.
"What Dr Mahathir means is why raise the issue of Tony Pua’s bias when everyone who sits in the PAC is also biased?
"So it is okay to be biased as long as you are not the only one who is biased, but the entire committee is biased. It is only wrong when you are the only one who is biased.
"This is becoming to sound very illogical," Salleh said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.