Ramkarpal Singh says it would not be proper for Mohamed Apandi Ali to remain as AG as he may now be called in to give a statement.
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh says AG Mohamed Apandi Ali has ‘overstayed his welcome’. (Youtube screengrab)
KUALA LUMPUR: An MP today urged Attorney-General (AG) Mohamed Apandi Ali to resign in light of new revelations regarding 1MDB by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Mohd Shukri Abdull.
In a statement, Ramkarpal Singh, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, noted MACC’s claim yesterday that the Saudi prince whom former prime minister Najib Razak alleged had given him RM2.6 billion as a donation could not prove it with any supporting documents.
He also noted claims by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) that the money had in fact been diverted from 1MDB.
“Both the said versions contradict each other and the failure of the said prince to support his claim with solid proof, particularly when such a huge sum was involved, raises doubts as to whether such a claim is genuine.”
He said Apandi had, in a highly publicised press conference on Jan 26, 2016, declared that the RM2.6 billion was a donation from the Saudi royal family and then cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.
“In light of the above, it is likely that Apandi would be required to assist in the current investigations into the said RM2.6 billion claim by providing a statement to the authorities, particularly in relation to his prior investigations into the same.
“As a former Federal Court judge, Apandi is well aware that it would be highly embarrassing for him to assist in such investigations as a sitting AG and, as such, he must resign forthwith.”
Ramkarpal said Apandi’s resignation would also enable Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the appointment of a new AG.
He said this must be done urgently in light of the many cases being reopened for investigation for which the advice of the AG to the government was crucial.
“I have said before that Apandi has overstayed his welcome and must resign. It is the honourable thing to do and must be done now without any further delay.”
Ramkarpal also criticised Shukri for revealing too many details about his personal experience, saying it could jeopardise ongoing investigations.
He said Shukri “ought to know better than to publicly claim that he was threatened and harassed as a result of investigating the 1MDB scandal in 2015”.
Shukri had, at the press conference yesterday, said, among others, that he was stalked overseas and received bullets in the mail as he had been aggressively investigating the scandal.
“While I sympathise with his plight, Shukri must be aware that such public statements can jeopardise the current investigations into 1MDB which he now helms as it may be suggested that his impartiality has been compromised as his investigations now may be related to the harassment he claimed to have experienced in the past.
“Such a suggestion is serious as it can potentially lead to a miscarriage of justice in the event that parties are charged in relation to the said matter in the future, on grounds that the investigations into it were biased as this would be a serious breach of natural justice which any accused person is entitled to.”
Ramkarpal, a lawyer, urged Shukri to stop such public outbursts and lodge a police report for action to be taken on his complaints.
“The current investigations into the 1MDB scandal by the MACC cannot be seen to be tainted in any way as the suspects thereto have every right to be fairly investigated and must not be deprived of such right.” -FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.