Anwar calls for immediate suspension of AG Gani Patail

Harakahdaily - TS,

11 November 2013

Nov 11:  Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has called for the immediate suspension of Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail amid several serious allegations of misconduct as reported by media recently.

In his statement, Anwar urged Prime Minister Najib Razak and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to respond immediately to the recent allegations by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Attorney General’s Chambers had employed two CIA agents, as claimed by a news portal.

“Coming in the wake of the reports exposing a global spying network by the United States, Australia and other countries conducted on Malaysian soil about which the PM till today has remained absolutely silent, this latest expose is nothing if not shameful and scandalous,” said the Permatang Pauh MP.

In the same breath, Anwar also called on Gani to come clean on the recent allegations “as well as the series of other allegations regarding his illegal and conspiratorial activities linked to his office”, citing the police reports filed by former CID chief of Kuala Lumpur Mat Zain that contained damning allegations against the AG.

“His failure to deny them renders him culpable of the wrong doings alleged and at the very least warrant an immediate suspension of duties,” stressed Anwar, adding that Najib must not ignore public demands for answers while Gani must not be allowed to continue in office.

Dr Mahathir confirms being told American agents working out of Attorney General’s office

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he had heard about two Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents operating in the Attorney General’s office.

"I heard about this. But I have no evidence that there are two CIA agents working in the office. Maybe there are agents, maybe not.

"The AG has not confirmed any of this yet," Dr Mahathir said at a press conference to launch the Naza World Cup Asia Paintball (NCWA) championship in Putrajaya today.

However, Dr Mahathir did not want to comment on a statutory declaration (SD) which claimed that there was a meeting at his house where attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail's supposed wrongdoings were discussed.

Mahathir said he would only elaborate on the matter once he has seen the full SD by former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director Mat Zain Ibrahim, who was present at the meeting in Dr Mahathir’s house during Hari Raya Aidilfitri in August.

"I haven't seen the statutory declaration? I haven't seen it, so I am not prepared to comment.

"After I have seen the statutory declaration, I will be prepared to answer your questions at length," he said.

There was speculation that Gani's position was under threat after a report claimed that Dr Mahathir had met several people to discuss the AG's misdeeds.

The report cited a meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, Mat Zain and prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

News portal Malaysiakini had previously reported that Mat Zain received a surprise phone call from Shafee three months ago to attend the meeting.

It added Mat Zain met Shafee at the latter's residence in Bukit Tunku on August 10, three days after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

The two were said to have discussed Gani's alleged “misconducts”, as well as the highly-publicised case on Pulau Batu Puteh - the island off Johor which the International Court of Justice awarded to Singapore following a legal dispute in 2008.

Two months after the meeting, Mat Zain made the SD on the matter, with copies sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, solicitor-general Datuk Idris Harun and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

Asked for his views on Gani's role in several failed prosecutions involving high profile individuals, Dr Mahathir said he "regretted" them.

"I regret very much when he failed because he represents the government. But sometimes people fail in court. Innocent people have been sentenced to death and guilty people have gone scot-free when you go to the courts.

"It depends on how the case is presented to the judge," he said.

Earlier today, Shafee denied suggestions that the meeting in Dr Mahathir's house in Seri Kembangan was a plot to remove Gani from office.

Instead, the Umno lawyer said he was at Dr Mahathir's house to pay respects to the former premier during Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

On Dr Mahathir's reported role in a conspiracy to remove Gani, Shafee said: "Tun was definitely not involved in this rubbish."

Shafee also declined to comment on the SD by Mat Zain, saying he wanted to read it first. - November 11, 2013.