What about Ramesh Rao?

After yesterday’s article, I asked, “What about Ramesh Rao and what role did he have in the failed press conference?”

Before I answer that question, it is good for me to just look at who Americk Singh Sidhu is. Although we had only met briefly through another lawyer friend, much about him can be read in the public domain.

In fact, it is interesting to look back to 2015, and the recent comments by former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim about two of his law firm’s ex-trainees, Umno lawyer Hafarizam Harun and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said. It is interesting to note that even Zaid had a lot of good things to say about Americk.

Americk (photo) is our local version of ‘Robin Hood’, a legal eagle who is prepared to fight for justice. He is one who is prepared to pick up cases about which he feels strongly. Money aside, this is one man who believes in the pursuit of justice; but of course, no law firm can survive if everyone is turning to him for help on a pro-bono basis.

Up till last week, Americk was the counsel for the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam, whose wife A Santamil Selvi appeared in the press conference organised by Pertubuhan Minda Sosial dan Prihatin (PMSP).

Americk did it on a pro-bono basis. Honestly, not many would take up a case against the leader of the country and expose himself to great risks, unless he believes there is a case to pursue. Americk is a man of his convictions.

Instead of being appreciated, he became the target of Selvi’s disparaging remarks at a press conference where she also blamed two other persons whom she claimed had misled her to do an interview with ABC Australia.

Now, Selvi says that she is forced to withdraw her counter-suit against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and seven others, after her lawyer Americk withdrew from the case. Honestly, I do not believe the blame falls squarely on Americk.

In fact, when I read the press statement read out by Selvi, which was also sent to me, I was shocked to read the way the press statement was worded to implicate three persons.

These were the people who had tried to help her, but in return, she accused them of using her for a documentary produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation regarding the death of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Of this, Americk said he was truly disappointed. “The most important issue,” he said, “is the fact that I have now been placed in a very embarrassing position in appearing on her behalf in Court.” For that reason, Americk does not have a choice but to withdraw himself from the case.

Without the countersuit, Selvi no longer holds the negotiation chip. She depends more on Americk than Americk depends on her to uncover the truth.

In my opinion, Americk should pursue the legal fees from Selvi, which I doubt even members of the public like me would offer to contribute even a small amount to help pay off. Perhaps, Pertubuhan Minda Sosial dan Prihatin leader Ramesh Rao could champion the fundraising to help pay off Americk’s legal fees.

Americk is also the counsel for United States-based businessman Charles Suresh Morais over the murder case of DPP Anthony Kevin Morais.

Who is Ramesh Rao?

Having talked briefly about Americk, so, who is Ramesh Rao?

One cannot be too wrong suggesting that perhaps Ramesh is on someone’s payroll or out to try to please Najib using the vehicle of PMSP.

At one point, he was trying to discredit Sarawak Report’s editor Claire Rewcastle-Brown who had highlighted about Najib’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, but Rewcastle-Brown immediately shot down the claims by one journalist from East Malaysia.

In round one, Brown had outwitted both Ramesh and the journalist, who claimed to have worked for Sarawak Report in Sarawak.

Recently, Ramesh lodged a police report against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as well as former Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan. Both were, of course, highly critical of Najib. In fact, the nation has Khairuddin to thank for lodging the reports with a number of investigative bodies overseas.

The 1MDB scandal will see more truths uncovered, even as investigators have traced the amount as more than the original US$600 million. It is a whopping US$1 billion according to the Wall Street Journal.

In most of his appearances in recent months, Ramesh appears to be linked to one man, either directly or indirectly, who is none other than Najib himself. I have always wondered what other ways his organisation is involved in helping other underprivileged families and how many members he has within his organisation.

We should encourage more people to tap into his resources to see if he would raise funds to help the children of widows who are not important to Najib.

You decide who is Ramesh Rao, and whether he has been effective in what he seeks out to achieve.

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008. -Mkini