LFL: Probe claim on RM9.5 million payout to Shafee in Anwar case
FMT Reporters | June 21, 2018
The lawyers group says the new government must probe the allegation and inform the public of the status or outcome of the investigation.
Lawyers for Liberty adviser N Surendran says there was no action taken on the case by authorities under the BN administration.
KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyers for Liberty wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police to probe allegations that former prime minister Najib Razak paid RM9.5 million to Sodomy 2 prosecutor Shafee Abdullah.
Its adviser N Surendran said in a statement today that the charge must be taken seriously as it involved the integrity of the justice system and the right to a fair trial by an accused person, in this case Anwar Ibrahim.
Surendran said the allegation was made in June 2017 by whistleblower website Sarawak Report, following which reports were lodged with the police and MACC calling for investigations.
“Yet, despite the extreme seriousness of the matter, there was no further action by the authorities operating under the old Barisan Nasional regime.”
Surendran said this was not surprising as Najib had been prime minister at the time.
“Although the new reforming government has been in power since May 10, there has been no news on the Najib-Shafee RM9.5 million case.
“Have Najib and Shafee been questioned by the police or MACC on this since the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government took power? What is the status of the investigation and has the new attorney-general been briefed?”
Surendran noted that the RM9.5 million was alleged to have come from 1MDB funds. The MACC is currently investigating Najib’s link to allegations that billions of ringgit were siphoned off from the state fund.
“There must be no further silence on this matter. We urge the MACC and police to move swiftly on the investigation, and to immediately inform the public of the status or outcome of the probe,” he said.
Last June, Anwar filed an originating summons seeking to quash the Court of Appeal judgment in March 2104 and to set aside the affirmation of the Federal Court following an allegation that Shafee, who was the lead prosecutor in his sodomy appeal, was paid a sum of RM9.5 million.
Anwar claimed that Shafee had not discharged his duty fairly as a prosecutor and that he had a direct financial interest in the matter. The case was later struck out.
