Americk: Charles no coward, remember PI Bala?

Lawyer gives a reminder of what happened after explosive sworn statement about Altantuya murder

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu has dismissed a police description of his client Charles Morais as “a coward” by giving a reminder of another time when a sworn statement was made with explosive allegations about the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder.

“Charles is not a coward. Charles is not stupid […] if the IGP remembers what happened to P Balasubramaniam,” said Americk, who also represented Bala at the time.

Bala, a private investigator, had linked Najib Razak, then deputy prime minister, to the Altantuya case but later recanted and fled into hiding in India. He returned in 2013 and vowed to expose the truth but died of a heart attack weeks later.

This morning the Inspector-General of Police said Charles Morais was “a coward” for having left the country the same night after producing a sworn statement at a press conference, alleging a high-level conspiracy in the murder of his brother Kevin Morais, a government prosecutor.

Kevin has been linked to a draft criminal charge that was purportedly to be issued against the prime minister, Najib Razak, in the investigations concerning 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Americk said Charles Morais had been in Malaysia for two months to arrange for a second post-mortem on Kevin’s body but another brother had claimed the body from the mortuary and there was no longer any reason for Charles to be here.

“He (Charles) is a businessman. He’s been here for two months, he has businesses to run in America. So how can the IGP criticise him for leaving? He’s been here long enough,” Americk said, according to Malaysiakini.

Richard Morais, younger brother to Charles and Kevin, had claimed Kevin’s remains on Monday after more than two months.

Police have said Charles was being investigated under Section 124L of the Penal Code for attempted sabotage, to which Americk said: “Why are they (the police) going after the whistleblower again? Why don’t they investigate what Charles has said in his statutory declaration. Don’t you think that is the first thing they should be doing?”