IGP calls Charles Morais 'coward' for hit-and-run SD

Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed today that Charles Morais, whom he labelled a “coward”, had left the country through the Causeway.

This was after Charles made a statutory declaration (SD) alleging high-level conspiracy in the murder of his elder brother, former deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais, at a press conference on Wednesday.

"He has left the country. We checked [...] he crossed the Johor Bahru Causeway at about 1.30am that same evening he made the press conference at his lawyer's office," said Khalid after attending an inspectors graduation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today.

According to Khalid, police are investigating Charles under Section 202 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) for withholding information and under Section 124L of the Penal Code for attempting to commit sabotage.

"He (Charles) is a very irresponsible man. After he gave his press conference at his lawyer's office, he immediately left Malaysia via Johor Bahru, and we are currently tracing where he is right now.

"He makes an accusation and then he runs away. Coward. What kind of human is this?" said Khalid.

In his SD, Charles had alleged a conspiracy in the murder of the late deputy public prosecutor.

Khalid also said that the cops will be seeking the help of Charles' lawyer, Americk Sidhu, to track him down.

Malaysiakini contacted Americk who asked why police needed his help to track down Charles when the latter's Atlanta address was clearly written in the SD.

"They don't need me to help in tracking Charles down.

"If they look at the SD that Charles produced, in the very first paragraph, Charles' address in Atlanta is given," he said.

He has already sent a copy of Charles' SD to the police, he added.

Furthermore, he is also ready to provide Charles' e-mail to the IGP if needed.

"You tell the IGP that if he wants Charles' e-mail address, I will give it to him and then he can ask Charles all the questions he wants via e-mail," he said.

Americk also refuted Khalid's claim that Charles is a 'coward'.

'Whole of Malaysia'

"Charles is not a coward. Charles is not stupid [...] if the IGP remembers what happened to P Balasubramaniam," he said.

P Balasubramaniam first shot to prominence in 2008 after he linked then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to the case of murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Americk added that Charles had been in Malaysia for two months to arrange for Kevin's second post-mortem.

"Since his (Kevin's) body had been claimed from the morgue, there was no reason for him to be here anymore.

"He (Charles) is a businessperson. 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.

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

Americk also voiced his surprise that police are probing Charles under Section 124L of the Penal Code, sarcastically saying that 'the whole of Malaysia is getting charged under Section 124'.

"Why are they (the police) going after the whistleblower again?

"Why don't they investigate what Charles has said in his SD? Don't you think that is the first thing they should be doing?" he noted.

Khalid, meanwhile, declined to comment on the dispute between Charles and Richard who had claimed that Charles was paid to make the SD.

Khalid said that they would call Richard in for questioning too if necessary.