The attorney-general (A-G) and the anti-graft authority must disclose more information about investigations into the prime minister's RM2.6 billion donation as well as the probe into Finance Ministry-owned company SRC International Sdn Bhd as these cases involved a public figure and government money, prominent lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today.
The former president of the Malaysian Bar said A-G Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali should not "hide behind confidentiality" as his announcement today on finding no criminal wrongdoing by Datuk Seri Najib Razak was insufficient.
"I think we need more disclosure from the attorney-general and I don't think they can say they can't reveal what is in the investigation paper.
"They as well as MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) must reveal enough so that the public can understand why this decision was made.
"They can't hide behind confidentiality and so on so forth because you can reasonably disclose enough to show us the basis of your decision.
"You cannot say we are not entitled to know.
This involves the PM whether in his personal capacity or not. This involves an ongoing scandal and public money," Ambiga told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur court complex this evening.
Ambiga was asked to comment on Apandi's announcement today finding no criminal offence on Najib's part over the donation and over the government's guarantee of a RM4 billion loan SRC International took from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP).
Apandi had said one reason asked for the case closed on the donation was that Najib had returned it to the Saudi donor.
"Going by the A-G's statement, I don't understand how this issue of returning the money arose, how donations with a presumption of corruption, how that presumption is displaced," Ambiga said.
"People don't give that much money for nothing. That is not clear to me. That's against human nature. How do you reasonably explain that a person who donated RM2.6 billion wanted nothing in return.
"That means there must be overwhelming evidence to show that they gave it for nothing," the lawyer and human rights activist added.
"Until the public sees that, they will not be satisfied." – January 26, 2016.
-The Malaysian Insider-
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