PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli fired a salvo at Attorney-General Tommy Thomas after an appeal was filed against the Shah Alam High Court's decision to acquit and discharge him and bank clerk Johari Mohamad over charges under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia).
The former Pandan lawmaker also hoped Thomas would exercise the same diligence with regard to bringing former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family members implicated in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) case to justice.
“The attorney-general has filed an appeal to reverse the high court’s decision on Bafia in NFC case.
“I hope he is as diligent to bring to justice the ex-minister's family members who benefited from the RM250 million. None of them have been charged in court so far,” he tweeted this evening.
Attorney General has filed an appeal to reverse the High Court’s decision on BAFIA in NFC case.
I hope he is as diligent to bring to justice the ex-minister’s family members who benefited frm the RM250m.
None of them has been charged in court so far.
77 people are talking about this
Speaking to Malaysiakini later, Rafizi said while he recognised that it is the AG's prerogative to appeal, he, however, found it odd that as someone appointed to carry out reforms, Thomas would go after politically-motivated cases inherited from the previous government
“At a personal level, of course it is of the greatest irony that Thomas became AG out of the hard work of people like me who put our necks (on the line) to change the government, only for him to show overzealousness in maintaining a jail sentence against me.
“The contrast is too obvious. He used his prerogative to withdraw cases against other Pakatan Harapan leaders, including (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng and (Amanah information chief) Khalid Samad, yet he pursues the jail sentence against me till the last court.
“More so when he had not done anything to bring the people behind NFC to be accountable for the RM250 million - he may say he had tried to recover the money through the civil suit, but those people still did not have to account for all the public money they spent,” he added.
According to Rafizi, the acquittal at the high court was a clear-cut legal issue, where the prosecution failed to submit evidence that meets the requirement of the Evidence Act.
“I would have imagined it is a straightforward case. But it is his (Thomas') right (to appeal) and he shall be judged by the public,” he added.
On the same note, Rafizi is not surprised nor daunted by the latest development.
“My team expected that the AG would appeal so we are ready in court. We have a strong case, so we will go through the court process,” he added.
On Nov 15, Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa allowed Rafizi's appeal against his conviction and the entailing 30-month jail sentence meted against him after he was found guilty for exposing confidential banking details under Bafia seven years ago.
On Feb 7, 2018, the Shah Alam Sessions Court found Rafizi, 42, guilty of disclosing documents comprising bank account balance summaries relating to NFC, National Meat & Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and NFC chairperson Mohd Salleh Ismail to media consultant Yusof Abdul Alim and The Star reporter, Erle Martin Carvalho.
Mohamad Salleh is the husband of Shahrizat, who was also the former Wanita Umno chief.
Rafizi allegedly committed the offence at PKR Headquarters in Merchant Square, Petaling Jaya, on March 7, 2012 and was charged under Section 97 (1) of Bafia.
Johari, 48, was also charged under Section 112 (1) (c) of Bafia for conspiring with Rafizi on the same date and address. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.