Raids on Najib’s residences followed SOP, claim police

PETALING JAYA: The police raids on premises belonging and connected to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak were conducted according to the standard operating procedure (SOP), said Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation department director Comm Datuk Seri Amar Singh.

The SOP was also followed in subsequent press conferences on the items seized from the premises, he said.

“We followed the SOP during the raids as well as when giving the press conferences.

“It is the same as any other raid such as a drug raid where we disclose the items seized as well as its value,” he said when contacted.

He was refuting claims by Najib’s son – Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin – who questioned the motive behind the recent series of raids and press conferences conducted by the police over the matter.

Regarding the press conferences on the seized items, Comm Amar said the police were transparent in disclosing the items and amounts seized.

“We are fulfilling our duties without fear or favour. Our priority is to ensure that justice is served in accordance with the rule of law,” he said, adding that there was no ulterior motive behind the police action.

“We have a duty to the public to disclose what we discover and seize. There is no question of not adhering to the SOP,” he said.

Mohd Nazifuddin had alleged that the raids and police disclosures were meant to incite public anger against Najib.

“Isn’t it standard operating procedure not to share such details while investigations are ongoing? Is it done just to further ostracise my father?” he said.

He also hit out at the Pakatan Harapan government, his ire aimed especially at Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“The new Malaysia is not quite different from the Malaysia it was 30 years ago,” he had said in a statement yesterday.

“The selective prosecution that took place today bore an uncanny resemblance to the past, just with a different subject, but the prime minister is still the same,” he said, in an apparent reference to Dr Mahathir who as prime minister had sacked his then deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was tried and convicted for abuse of power and sodomy.

The sodomy conviction was later overturned, and Dr Mahathir and Anwar are now political allies in Pakatan.