Najib tells Thomas to retract memoir, seeks RM10m in damages

 

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has demanded that Tommy Thomas retract his memoir in which he alleged that the former played a role in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

In a legal notice issued to the former attorney-general, Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said his client also wanted RM10 million in damages and an "unqualified apology in terms to be approved by the solicitors".

Thomas is given until noon Friday to do so. Failing which Shafee said he would file a defamation suit against Thomas early next week.

Shafee said Thomas' statements in his just-released memoir entitled My story: Justice in the wilderness were "grossly negligent, reckless, irresponsible, deliberate, malicious and aimed to lower Najib's esteem and good reputation in the eyes of the public and further expose our client to public hatred, scorn, odium, contempt and ridicule".

"You portrayed him as a murderer by direct inference and innuendo are wholly untrue, false, frivolous, vexatious and devoid of substance nor evidence," he said.

"Your impugned statements are clearly motivated by mala fide and are principally done in your selfish pursuit of seeking cheap publicity, sensationalism and profiteering," claimed Shafee.

He said the statements have caused considerable distress and embarrassment to Najib especially in light of the fact they were made by a former attorney-general of Malaysia.

The cover of Tommy Thomas'  memoir

"Further, you had deliberately made this statement in spite of knowing that the Federal Court had recently rejected the attempt to review their own decision in relation to the convictions of Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar," he said.

In his memoir, Thomas said Sirul had provided evidence which corroborated the claims of his co-accused Azilah who implicated Najib in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Thomas said he was told that Sirul had previously informed the Australian authorities that he was ordered to kill a foreign spy, which is similar to what Azilah claimed.

This was based on an interview conducted by a senior deputy public prosecutor whom Thomas had instructed to meet with Sirul at the Villawood immigration detention centre in Australia.

Both Sirul and Azilah were former members of the police's elite Special Action Force. They were convicted in 2006 for the murder of the Mongolian national.

Beside Altantuya's case, Thomas' 500-page memoir also detailed the achievements and failures of the former Pakatan Harapan administration, the planned prosecution of fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho and 1MDB, the attempted extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and the resignation of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. - Mkini