KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown presented herself at Bukit Aman over a police report lodged over her book.
The report, Clare said, was lodged by lawyers representing the Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah.
“At the same time, the lawyers have filed a civil case against me for RM300mil. I’m concerned that the civil case is being backed up with complaints to the police.
“My publisher and distributor have been visited as well as everyone that I have visited in the past few weeks, and they were questioned about me and what involvement they allegedly might have,” she said when met outside Bukit Aman at around 3.30pm.
Rewcastle-Brown said that she presented herself on her own accord, and was questioned for about three hours.
“I had a very pleasant interview with the police, and I hope I was able to explain everything about this report. They asked me fair questions.
“I explained to the police that I believed the allegations made in the police report are totally incorrect,” she said, adding that she was more than happy to cooperate with the police.
“I want to help them solve this case. We will keep in contact and I would hate for them to have to spend so much energy about this, when they are so much more important things to investigate,” she said.
Regarding the report and civil suit, Rewcastle-Brown clarified that there had been a misinterpretation from the passage of the book in question.
“The grammar is quite clear. I was saying that the Sultan himself was officially involved in the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA). The complaint against me was that I said she (Sultanah) was involved.
“I have never said that she or the Sultan has ever done anything that was inappropriate, and my book makes it absolutely clear that the 1MDB scandal began after the TIA ceased to exist and was changed into 1MDB.
“I also said (in the book) that one of the reasons why the TIA was closed down was that the Sultan, who was the chairman of the board, was concerned about some of the ways Jho Low was attempting to run the fund.
“There are no allegations in my book, quite the opposite,” she said, adding that her book made it clear that the Sultan acted properly and accordingly.
She added that 1MDB only became a concern in 2015.
“How can anybody in 2008 be expected to know what would happen in the future? In my book, I was just explaining the background on how Jho Low says he got his job at TIA. It seems to me that the lawyers who are trying to sue me and my colleagues are seeking to create a false impression,” she said.
Her case is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code.
On Sept 29, Sultanah Nur Zahirah, through her counsel, had given Rewcastle-Brown eight days to issue a “full written, unequivocal public retraction” of a passage in her book about the 1MDB scandal, or face a RM100mil defamation suit.
A letter of demand was served to three parties, including Rewcastle-Brown, to make a public retraction and apology in terms to be approved by her lawyers by Oct 5.
Sarawak Report had previously apologised if the book led to any misinterpretation on the Sultanah’s part that it suggested that she was conspiring with businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, or was involved in the government administration in the 1MDB scandal.
The news outlet also clarified that it did not suggest she was linked to the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) or the 1MDB board in any way.
In a related matter, Clare expressed shock when she was told that three prior reports were lodged against her regarding 1MDB back in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
“The investigations against me for spreading false news were still open, and that came as a surprise because I assumed that they had been closed. The police want me to come back to make three separate statements on the matter,” she said.
However, the dates have not be been fixed, but Rewcastle-Brown said that she would comply.
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