Malaysiakini:
Unhappy chatter over Riza's plea-bargain? Shafee trots out Guan Eng's acquittal
Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, star defence lawyer for a number of 1MDB criminal cases, today questioned the volume of criticism thrown against the settlement deal which saw Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz being granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for money-laundering.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, he compared the response to the case of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who was acquitted by then attorney-general Tommy Thomas on charges of corruption linked to the purchase of a bungalow at allegedly below market-value.
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Phang Li Koon sure looks cute with her sweet dimples |
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Mahathir responding to MACC's shock that Lim Guan Eng was acquitted by the AG of corruption charges over the purchase of a bungalow allegedly below the market value |
"My response is very easy. The entire thing that is so-called in his hands, assets, money and whatever, is returned. He's saying I'm not guilty, I return these because I want my life back.
"Because if you remember, he (Riza) got these through loans, and he made profits, and now he returns it.
"But you compare this with Lim Guan Eng, he benefited from that purchase of property. Defence was called, not that his defence wasn't called.
[Editor's note: For the record, Lim was granted a full acquittal midway through the prosecution stage.]
"The deputy public prosecutors were not happy with the withdrawal, the only person who agreed to the withdrawal was Tommy Thomas. Why aren't you questioning that?" said Shafee, who represents Riza's stepfather Najib Abdul Razak in the latter's ongoing 1MDB-related trials.
The High Court in Penang had on Sept 3, 2018, freed Lim, the former Penang chief minister and former finance minister of two charges after the Attorney-General's Chambers accepted a representation from his lawyers.
For the record, Thomas was appointed as the AG by the Pakatan Harapan government in July 2018, two months after the coalition won the 14th general election on May 9.
Lim was the finance minister when Harapan was in power.
Shafee also lambasted several members of the Bar Council whom he claimed had failed to question the Harapan government when Lim's case was dropped by the Attorney-General's Chambers.
"Why aren't people in the Bar, I'm not talking about Bar Council, but senior people at the Bar. Why aren't you questioning those people in politics? Why did you (the then government) let go Lim Guan Eng when the defence has been called?"
While he did not name anyone, it is believed that Shafee was referring to a group of lawyers including five former presidents of the Malaysian Bar who issued a statement today criticising the current Malaysian Bar president Salim Bashir's statement on Riza's case.
The group said that Salim's statement was "uncharacteristic" of the Bar's fearless independence.
Shafee claimed that when Umno was in power, the country had seen a prominent member of the party, Mohd Khir Toyo, the former Selangor menteri besar, being sent to prison for corruption.
"Because if you remember, he (Riza) got these through loans, and he made profits, and now he returns it.
"But you compare this with Lim Guan Eng, he benefited from that purchase of property. Defence was called, not that his defence wasn't called.
[Editor's note: For the record, Lim was granted a full acquittal midway through the prosecution stage.]
"The deputy public prosecutors were not happy with the withdrawal, the only person who agreed to the withdrawal was Tommy Thomas. Why aren't you questioning that?" said Shafee, who represents Riza's stepfather Najib Abdul Razak in the latter's ongoing 1MDB-related trials.
The High Court in Penang had on Sept 3, 2018, freed Lim, the former Penang chief minister and former finance minister of two charges after the Attorney-General's Chambers accepted a representation from his lawyers.
For the record, Thomas was appointed as the AG by the Pakatan Harapan government in July 2018, two months after the coalition won the 14th general election on May 9.
Lim was the finance minister when Harapan was in power.
Shafee also lambasted several members of the Bar Council whom he claimed had failed to question the Harapan government when Lim's case was dropped by the Attorney-General's Chambers.
"Why aren't people in the Bar, I'm not talking about Bar Council, but senior people at the Bar. Why aren't you questioning those people in politics? Why did you (the then government) let go Lim Guan Eng when the defence has been called?"
While he did not name anyone, it is believed that Shafee was referring to a group of lawyers including five former presidents of the Malaysian Bar who issued a statement today criticising the current Malaysian Bar president Salim Bashir's statement on Riza's case.
The group said that Salim's statement was "uncharacteristic" of the Bar's fearless independence.
Shafee claimed that when Umno was in power, the country had seen a prominent member of the party, Mohd Khir Toyo, the former Selangor menteri besar, being sent to prison for corruption.
But the contrary had happened in Lim's case, according to him.
"When the opposition took over government, Lim Guan Eng was released. Why don't you question that?" he said.
Asked on whether Thomas' decision in Lim's case could be reversed, Shafee said the case can be reviewed if it could be proven that the decision was not made in good faith.
However, he said this will be up to the new attorney-general, Idrus Harun, to decide.
Quick As A Flash KT jumps in....it's good that he is finally educating himself on 1MDB....so ignorant before....
ReplyDeleteKT seems to enjoy the "attack" of Shafee on Guanee....this lawyer who defers payment for legal fees for decades.....now if KT knows any other lawyer who gives discount from RM20 million to RM9.5 million and invoices for legal fees 20 year after the service is rendered please let us know.....ha ha ha...likely story...
KT must be the Mother Gullible Guppy....
Now that UMNO is back in power, will Shafee become a Teflon Lawyer Burok....? Cheng cheng cheng....
QUOTE
Shafee: RM9.5 million was back payment for legal services to BN, Umno since Dr M's first tenure as PM
Khairah N. Karim - September 13, 2018
KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the RM9.5 million payment was for legal services to Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno, since the administration of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he was the fourth Prime Minister.
“I received the monies in two portions because I have been doing work for BN and Umno since the time of Tun Mahathir and I was never paid," the prominent lawyer revealed today.
While the payment was made by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Muhammad Shafee reiterated that the payment was not for his fees as prosecutor in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy II case.
“I said I did not receive RM9.5 million from Najib to do Anwar’s (sodomy II) case and that was as clear as daylight," he said.
“The bill that I showed, to justify RM9.5 million is in relation to 46 election petitions that I handled for the party.
“In fact, if I want to charge for all the work that I had done for BN alone, forgetting my advise to the prime ministers (Tun Mahathir, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and Najib) the bill would be about RM20 million.
“I only asked for RM9.5 million because I needed quick money to purchase a property to help a friend,” he said, adding that Najib agreed to give him the amount in two transactions, in advance payment or loan, until he rationalised the legal billing.
“That is why in previous years, I could not declare my income tax because it (the bill) was not crystallised yet."
Muhammad Shafee claimed trial today at the Sessions Court, here, to two charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 (AMLATFA) over two payments of RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million from Najib in 2013 and 2014.
He was also charged with two counts of making false declarations to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) for not including the RM9.5 million in his tax filing for the year under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFAPUA).
UNQUOTE
So let me re-package this Thrilling Story which only Gullible Guppies will believe:
ReplyDeleteBy his own admission Shafee did 20 million worth of legal work for a political party (UMNO), does not bill them for 20 years, then gives them more than a 50% discount.....and we are all to believe there was nothing given to him in return. Like Willing Giver Willing Taker?
So what did Phang Li Koon receive in return from Guanee....? Any contracts, Datuk title or......?
Only Gullible Guppies will accept Shafee Abdullah's obfuscation at face value.
ReplyDeleteLim Guan Eng's purchase of the bungalow at below market value is not in itself a crime.
Any citizen has the right to negotiate the best price he can get for his assets. It only becomes a crime if there is a Quid Pro Quo or implied so arising from his official capacity.
The then Attorney General assessed that the case is unproven, and that is sufficient.
In Reza Aziz's case, there is not even any argument any more that the 1MDB funds were illegally diverted. A crime was clearly already committed.
Najib's own defence doesn't even contest that illegality any more.
Najib's defence is now "I didn't know nothing".
Complete, Moronic, Ignorance, therefore he is not guilty.
So clearly the 1MDB funds were criminally sourced. Therefore Riza Aziz, in receiving and utilising the illicit funds to produce a movie, among other things clearly committed Money Laundering.
Why the Current AG decided not to pursue an Open-Shut Case is clearly an action he is answerable for.