Former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director, Ramli Yusof claimed in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) had charged lawyer Rosli Dahlan a day before Hari Raya in 2007 so as to prevent Rosli from helping him.

Testifying during re-examination by Rosli's counsel Chethan Jethwani, he further claimed that it was clear that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and current Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail were trying to fix him up.

“Rosli ( photo ) was engaged by us (the police) when the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) did not want to draft affidavits by myself and six other police officers against underworld kingpin Goh Cheng Poh. He (Rosli) helped file the affidavit (a habeas corpus application) against Goh.”

“They were trying to fix me and get to Rosli. They were trying to prevent Rosli from helping me and that is why they charged him first. I am the suspect, not Rosli.

“I am the prime suspect (in the non-declaration of assets). They should have charged me from the start,” the former top cop added.

In his witness statement, Ramli said the police and then Deputy Home Minister Johari Baharom had engaged Rosli to draft the affidavit in reply.

They also roped in senior lawyer C Vijiyakumar to help draft the necessary affidavits to oppose Goh's application.

“I saw this as fait accompli as normally, it is the AGC's task to file the affidavit,” he said.

Passed files illegally

Ramli also questioned the manner in which the ACA arrested Rosli where they stormed his law firm and handcuffed him although he was not in any way violent.

Rosli was charged on Oct 12, 2007 with non-compliance with the ACA's notice to declare his assets while Ramli was charged about three weeks later on Nov 1, 2007.

Goh, or 'Tengku' Goh, was alleged to have had links to Musa, and Ramli  testified  yesterday that an unauthorised Gani ( photo ) had demanded confidential files on police informants in that case and passed it on to the ACA.

Ramli was testifying in Rosli's RM50 million suit against the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (the successor of the ACA) for wrongful detention and arrest.

Ramli said he had earlier met Gani with then deputy inspector-general of police Najib Abdul Aziz and former head of prosecution at the AGC, Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden.

“I had protested strongly against surrendering this file as I told them it is only the Home Minister and the police officer handling (the case who) having access. I myself do not have access as it contains secret information about the informants.

“Najib (and) Yusof agreed with me. However, three days later, an ACA officer came to my office and issued a notice demanding that the files be given to Gani.

"I went there and I strongly protested again but relented, in giving it to the AG. The AG then gave the file to the ACA,” he said.

Protest letter

Ramli said he wrote a letter dated Aug 23, 2007, to Gani to state his strong protest against having to hand over the file.

The witness said that normally police do not give their files to the ACA and the ACA also applies the same procedure with the police.

He further claimed the ACA used the information to turn over the statements given by the informants and that led to Goh's release.

Six officers who were under him and responsible in arresting Goh were charged with fabricating evidence.

Eventually, all six, along with Ramli and Rosli, were acquitted of the charge.

Yesterday, Ramli revealed that Gani and Musa had conspired to fix him up following the black-eye incident involving Anwar Ibrahim ( photo ) in which he refused to partake in fabricating evidence, and cases involving the Malaysia Airlines investigations and Copgate matter.

He also claimed that Goh, or Tengku Goh, had links with Musa.

In support of his theory, Ramli told the court that Goh's habeas corpus affidavit said the arrest by Ramli's men was illegal as it was not approved by Musa, and he was already cleared by the AG and the ACA.

Barred from promotion

Yesterday, Ramli also testified that he was destined to be the next IGP but was thwarted.

Today, he revealed that this was disclosed to him by former IGP the late Bakri Omar, and former senior police officers Wahab Sulaiman and Mohd Sidek Ali, who were members of the Police Commission.

He said it was the Police Commission which is tasked with recommending senior officers to become the IGP and its deputy.

“Bakri called me in September 2006 and he said the commission is recommending me to be the next Deputy IGP before he retires. This is again verified by the two other members of the commission mentioned previously,” he said.

However, at about the same time, Ramli alleged that Musa ( photo ) used another kingpin by the name of Moo Sai Chin to claim that Moo had bribed Ramli in 1999.

This, he said, led to internal police investigations on him and a further probe by the ACA, which affected his promotion.

Ramli added on June 26, 2007, Musa issued a letter to him barring him from accepting the DGPP, a customary award given by the police department, as there was an ACA investigation on him.

“I replied to Musa's letter on July 2, where I told him I was never informed of investigations done against me and the ACA had not investigated me,” he said.

Soon after that, he said the ACA began probing him.

Hearing continues before Justice Su Geok Yiam on June 12.

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