The Attorney-General's Chambers has denied drafting nor issuing a purported charge sheet against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"The draft of the charge sheet published by Sarawak Report was not made or issued by the AG's Chambers," tweeted head of the prosecution division Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah.

Earlier, newly appointed attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali told Malaysiakini he was not aware of the matter.

"I don't know anything about the report so I cannot comment, okay?" he said.

 

Asked if he considered this a serious matter, he replied: "I don't know, it's not for me to comment."

 

Responding to another question if he would look into the matter, Apandi, who assumed the attorney-general post on Monday, said: "I am very tired, so can I take a rest? Thank you."

Several people, such as PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya and Lawyers for Liberty's Michelle Yesudas, had tweeted the document which appeared on Sarawak Report .

 

This led inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar to remind Malaysians not to spread rumours about the purported draft charge sheet.

"Such reports from unverified sources will only confuse the public. The police asks that the spreading of this rumour be stopped," he tweeted today, along with a screenshot of Sarawak Report 's Facebook page, which showed the document.

Meanwhile, BN strategic communication director Abdul Rahman Dahlan tweeted: "Claire Brown and charge sheet? Yawnnnnnn..... Zzzzz."

This was in reference to Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

Apart from Najib, the purported charge sheet named a former managing director, who was arrested by the 1MDB special task force and later freed on bail, and Nik Faisal Ariff Nik Othman Kamil.

 

The task force is still in the process of locating Nik Faisal Ariff, who is the managing director of former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International.

 

Following the sudden termination of Abdul Gani Patail's tenure as attorney-general, veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin, who is a close associate of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had asked in a blog posting if this was because he was on the verge of charging certain individuals.

 

When news broke that Abdul Gani's services had been terminated due to health problems, the former AG himself appeared to be clueless.

 

However, Abdul Gani ( photo ) declined to comment if his removal was linked to the special task force probe.

 

Despite several attempts, Malaysiakini could not reach Abdul Gani for comment on the alleged charge sheet draft.

According to the purported charge sheet, which was allegedly being drafted by Abdul Gani, the prime minister is to be arrested and charged for corruption, with an alternative charge for criminal breach of trust.

This is allegedly related to the transfer of RM27 million by SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB, into Najib's bank account.

 

Rafizi: This is a serious charge

 

Commenting on the matter, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who had seen the draft charge sheet, said it carries a most serious charge against the prime minister.

 

"While the draft charge sheet might not have much legal weight, the circumstances surrounding the removal of the attorney-general, when put in the context of this draft charge, will further strengthen the public perception that the removal of the AG and the cabinet reshuffle was politically motivated in connection to the ongoing investigation against the prime minister and 1MDB.

 

"As if it is not bad enough that Malaysia has been stuck with an on-going power tussle among the Umno ruling elite, the credibility of the prime minister is now further eroded by an allegation that he pre-empted his arrest by removing the AG and effecting a hasty cabinet reshuffle," Rafizi ( photo ) told Malaysiakini .

 

On Tuesday, Najib dropped his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and Mohd Shafie Apdal, who headed the regional and development ministry, from his cabinet. Both have been critical of 1MDB.

 

The premier also appointed four out of eight BN lawmakers in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), including its then head Nur Jazlan Mohamed, as ministers and deputy ministers.

 

This too was criticised as an attempt to derail the PAC probe into 1MDB.

 

Kit Siang: PM must explain

 

Meanwhile, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang also called on the government to explain the charge sheet issue.

"The fact is rumour has been flying around for a few days that approximate action will be taken against the highest authority involved in the 1MDB probe.

 

"With this so-called exclusive from Sarawak Report , the AG and PM must come out to respond," he told Malaysiakini .

 

Early this month, Sarawak Report and The Wall Street Journal quoted information obtained from Malaysian investigators that RM2.6 billion was allegedly deposited into Najib's personal bank accounts.

 

The prime minister, however, denied that he had used public funds for personal gain.

 

Sarawak Report has since been blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which also warned action against local media organisations which reported its content.

 

The Edge media group was also targeted over its damaging reports on 1MDB, with the Home Ministry, headed by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has now been promoted to deputy prime minister, slapping a three-month suspension on two of its publications.

 

The media group's owner Tong Kooi Ong and publisher Ho Kay Tat are being investigated under Section 124 of the Penal Code for activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

 

This is after former PetroSaudi International executive Xavier Andre Justo claimed that those who procured stolen documents from him regarding a joint venture between PetroSaudi and 1MDB had talked of plans to fabricate the documents.

 

Both Sarawak Report and The Edge had denied the claim, though Tong admitted that Justo was deliberately misled with a RM2 million offer in order to obtain the documents.

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