تومماي تومس سكالي لاڬي تودوه سڤرم تيڤو ايسو ڤلڤاسن ريز عزيز
Former Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Tommy Thomas has again taken to task the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly ‘continuing to lie’ about his involvement in Riza Aziz’s controversial case settlement.
In a statement to the press today, Thomas said that the final paragraph of the agency’s press statement, which said that the settlement was a decision “considered and agreed to” by him was “clearly false”.
On Nov 18, 2019, Riza’s lawyers submitted written representations seeking a review of the criminal charges proffered against him.
He said this was normal procedure and that there was nothing sinister about it. He however stressed that he did not agree to their request for a discharge and passed the letter to Gopal to study and recommend a response to him.
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Tommy Thomas has again taken to task the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly ‘continuing to lie’ about his involvement in Riza Aziz’s controversial case settlement.
In a statement to the press today, Thomas said that the final paragraph of the agency’s press statement, which said that the settlement was a decision “considered and agreed to” by him was “clearly false”.
He also provided a rundown from when Riza was first charged by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on July 5, 2019 to his discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on Thursday.
“‘In these circumstances, the MACC had actual knowledge that the final paragraph of the press statement that “the agreement between the prosecution and the accused through representation in court was a decision considered and agreed by the former Attorney General, Tan Sri Tommy Thomas” is clearly false,” he said, while citing the offending paragraph of the statement.
Thomas was also miffed that after he corrected the statement on May 14 itself, the agency responded by saying it stood by the statement.
“This is absolutely shocking, because the MACC was continuing with the lie, even after the truth had been pointed out to them.”
“It defies credibility that if their fiction has any factual foundation, it would mean that I took the decision to drop the prosecution against Riza on or before Feb 28, 2020, but my decision was only implemented in Court two and a half months thereafter, and not at the earliest opportunity, which was March 12, 2020,” he added.
His account stipulated that Riza, the stepson of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was first charged on his instruction as AG on July 5, 2019.
Thomas said the only other relevant decision that he had made was to appoint Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram to lead the prosecution.
He said that he left the day-to-day handling of the cases to Gopal and the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) from the AGC.
On Nov 18, 2019, Riza’s lawyers submitted written representations seeking a review of the criminal charges proffered against him.
He said this was normal procedure and that there was nothing sinister about it.
He however stressed that he did not agree to their request for a discharge and passed the letter to Gopal to study and recommend a response to him.
“On Feb 28, 2020, I resigned as Attorney General. Until my resignation, I had not received any advice from (Gopal) Sri Ram. Thus, I did not decide on the representations of Riza prior to my resignation.
“At a case management before Sessions Court judge, Tuan Azman Ahmad, on March 12, 2020, the DPP applied for a new date of the case, to allow the AGC to make a decision on the representation submitted by Riza.
“The DPP’s request was to allow the newly appointed Attorney General time to review the representation, according to media reports. Apparently, the case was postponed to April 2,” said Thomas.
He said at the case management on May 14, the Sessions Court had granted Riza a DNAA in relation to his criminal charges on the application made by ad hoc prosecutor Gopal.
Thomas also pointed out that no decision was made by the prosecution on the case as late as April 2. The decision was made more than a month after he resigned from his post, noting that it must have been made between April 2 and May 14 when he no longer held the position of AG.
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