Najib withdraws suit against AG, MACC chief and CCID director
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday withdrew his lawsuit against AttorneyGeneral Tommy Thomas, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull and Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Amar Singh Ishar Singh over investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Senior federal counsel Alice Loke Yee Ching informed reporters of the withdrawal of the suit following case management before High Court deputy registrar Norhatini Abd Hamid.
Loke, together with senior federal counsel Suzana Atan, attended the proceedings yesterday, acting for Thomas, Mohd Shukri and Amar Singh, the respondents.
Loke said the court allowed the suit to be withdrawn to give Najib the liberty to file a fresh suit.
Najib’s lawyer Badrul Hisham Abdullah, when contacted by reporters, confirmed the withdrawal of the suit.
Badrul Hisham said the suit was withdrawn because it was filed before Najib was charged in the High Court here on July 4 with criminal breach of trust and abuse of power over SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM42 million.
The lawyer said he would make adjustments to the suit before submitting a fresh suit following the current scenario after the charges were filed against Najib.
On June 30, Najib filed three ex-parte originating summonses (one side) separately, seeking a declaration that the involvement of the three individuals in the probe into 1MDB was invalid and prejudicial. He also sought costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
In his supporting affidavit, Najib claimed that before Thomas was appointed as the attorney-general, he had written an article entitled “Grand Lacerny in 1MDB” in July 2016 which concluded that the money deposited into the former prime minister’s personal account belonged to 1MDB.
Najib claimed that through that article, it was clear that Thomas did not like him and raised his concern that Thomas might find means to ensure a charge against him for any reason.
In the suit against Mohd Shukri, the former Umno president claimed that Mohd Shukri, during a press conference on SRC International Sdn Bhd held soon after he was appointed the chief commissioner of the MACC, had concluded that the former prime minister received RM42 million and RM2.6 billion, even before he (Najib) was called to give his statements to the MACC.
“The press statement made by Mohd Shukri was vengeful and has portrayed me as (being) guilty. As such, his (Mohd Shukri’s) integrity and professionalism can be disputed as he should stay neutral until the investigation into the case has been completed, but he chooses to punish without concrete evidence,” said Najib in his supporting affidavit.
Najib also claimed that he would not be accorded a fair and transparent investigation and believed that with such an attitude, Mohd Shukri was not qualified to lead the MACC investigation team and to be a member in the 1MDB task force set up by the Council of Eminent Persons. In his originating summons against Amar Singh, the Pekan MP said the raid conducted by the latter and his team on his premises, including those resided in by his children at Pavilion Residence and one loaned by a friend to store items moved from his official residence in Seri Perdana, did not comply with the standard operating procedure.
The applicant also claimed that Amar Singh was not qualified to be an advisor to the 1MDB special investigative team while adding that a police report has been lodged against the three respondents, Thomas, Mohd Shukri and Amar Singh.