Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Penang chief Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim has lodged a police report against three news outlets for allegedly defaming him, his office, and colleagues.
He lodged the police report on behalf of his office against national broadcast company TV3, The Sun Daily, and Free Malaysia Today (FMT). He accused the news outlets of producing allegedly defamatory news reports.
He noticed the news reports after he was released from questioning at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office at about 6.40pm yesterday.
Yusaini (above) said he read a Twitter post by a TV3 reporter which purportedly defamed his good name, that of his office, and his colleagues.
"The slanderous news report included details that the MACC raided our office along Jalan Anson, sealed and recovered cash during the raid," he said after lodging the police report at the Northeast Police Headquarters along Jalan Pattani.
"The news report is not true and it was not verified by an authoritative source. It was intended to tarnish the reputations of the DPP's office, my name, and the names of my officers," he added.
When asked if the news reports mentioned his name or the name of other officers, Yusaini said "No".
"But when you mention the DPP's office, it could only be us," he stressed.
The police report was received by assistant superintendent Karunagaran M Govindadamy at about 1.30pm.
In the FMT news report, it alleged that three DPPs in Penang were arrested by the MACC after complaints that they demanded half a million ringgit in bribes to fix a commercial crime case.
FMT claimed the arrest was confirmed by Kedah MACC chief Shaharom Nizam Abd Manap.
FMT alleged the MACC "had moved in to lay a trap on one of the prosecutors, by pretending to be an interested party willing to offer RM100,000 for his services."
"The prosecutor, who is believed to hold the rank of senior federal counsel, is alleged to have accepted the money, in marked currency notes, from the undercover MACC officers, which led to his immediate arrest," a source had told the portal.
According to the news report, two other prosecutors were arrested at the Kedah MACC office in Alor Setar, after they were called in to have their statements taken.
FMT claimed the two men were part of the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in Penang, where one reportedly held “a very senior role”.
Yusaini found such statements slanderous: "MACC officers later seized items from the prosecutors’ offices and found an undisclosed amount of cash at their homes and other items that could be used against them in the case."
As for The Sun Daily, Yusairi said he found offensive the part which mentioned that the suspects were apparently "operating a scheme to fix cases" for sometime before the ruse was discovered.
Meanwhile, Bernama has also reported on the issue which the Penang DPP did not refute.
Criminologist and lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind called upon the MACC to investigate, identify, and if necessary arrest those who were involved in the alleged corrupt practice.
"I also call upon the federal government to amend the relevant laws to create a special panel to review all decisions made by or on behalf of the AGC. The victim of a crime should not be allowed to make any application to such panel," Shamsher told Malaysiakini. - Mkini
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