Was Dr M involved in dropping Guan Eng's charges? Azalina shoots back at MP
Former law minister Azalina Othman Said turned the tables on PKR MP William Leong who insinuated that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin approved the move to drop money laundering charges against Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz.
She said the same could be asked regarding the corruption charges against former finance minister Lim Guan Eng being dropped.
Former law minister Azalina Othman Said turned the tables on PKR MP William Leong who insinuated that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin approved the move to drop money laundering charges against Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz.
She said the same could be asked regarding the corruption charges against former finance minister Lim Guan Eng being dropped.
"I'm afraid that your public statement/question to the PM may just stir up a hornet's nest.
"Allow me to refer to the 'nolle prosequi' (voluntary end to prosecution) against YB Bagan (Lim) on Aug 2, 2018.
"Was PM7 (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) Involved in that decision? I highly doubt it. Or am I wrong to assume that?
"I'm the last person to remind you regarding the separation of powers between the executive, judiciary and legislature," she tweeted yesterday.
Azalina was responding to an opinion piece by Leong in Focus Malaysia on Sunday, in which the Selayang MP asked if Muhyiddin sanctioned the plea bargain deal given to former premier Najib Abdul Razak's stepson.
The Prime Minister's Office on Monday said Muhyiddin was not involved in the decision.
Under the deal, Riza was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for charges of money laundering involving US$248 million (RM1.08 billion) linked to 1MDB funds.
In exchange, he is to return foreign assets estimated to be worth US$107.3 million (RM465.3 million).
Lim, in 2016, claimed trial to two graft charges over the alleged conversion of state land status and the purchase of a bungalow below market value during his tenure as Penang chief minister.
In Sept 2018, the prosecution decided not to pursue the case, citing fresh evidence and applied for a DNAA as well.
However, after protests from the defence, the High Court in Penang agreed to grant full acquittal.
The acquittal had been widely panned by Pakatan Harapan critics, most recently by Najib's family lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, has maintained that the charges were politically motivated.
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