Adham demands RM30m, apology from C4 over contracts allegation
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba has issued a letter of demand for RM30 million in damages against the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).
Lawyer Mohammed Nasser Yusof said his client has also demanded the C4 to issue an apology on its website, social media account, as well as in a media conference in regards to the alleged defamatory statement within seven days from today.
- Update includes comment from C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba has issued a letter of demand for RM30 million in damages against the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).
Lawyer Mohammed Nasser Yusof said his client has also demanded the C4 to issue an apology on its website, social media account, as well as in a media conference in regard to the alleged defamatory statement within seven days from today.
This was after C4 yesterday demanded that Adham come clean on certain contracts being probed by the MACC.
C4 had claimed that among the contract recipients were Khazanah Jaya Sdn Bhd, whose two directors it said had previously sat on the same board of a different company with a shareholder of Adham's chain of clinics.
It also questioned whether there was any favouritism in the granting of the contracts.
On May 5, national news agency Bernama, citing an MACC source, said the graft buster was investigating Health Ministry direct negotiation contracts related to the procurement of equipment to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, believed to be worth at least RM30 million.
Meanwhile, Nasser's attempt to deliver the demand letter by hand this morning was futile as the C4 office in Petaling Jaya was closed.
In a recorded interview in front of the office afterwards, Nasser said he would send the letter to C4's other registered office addresses.
"We will send by hand to its registered office addresses in Brickfields and Gombak," he said.
Nasser said that C4 had made a slanderous statement against his client and that Adham had relayed that only through a court trial that the truth will prevail.
"My client would like to prove to the public that he is clean and a man of integrity.
"The remarks (that C4 made) were slanderous and baseless, only in court that the truth will prevail," he said.
When contacted, C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel said their office would be open tomorrow and they would respond to the demand letter upon officially being served.
"The letter of demand must be served properly so tomorrow they may try again and we will reply.
"Our statement did not accuse the minister. We asked him to show transparency and answer the question of possible undue influence and conflict of interest," she told Malaysiakini.
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