Skandal 1MDB: Najib saman Tony Pua...

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak semalam memfailkan saman fitnah terhadap Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua dan pemilik portal online Mediarakyat.net, Chan Chee Kong berhubung isu 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), lapor Bernama.

Tuntutan itu dipercayai susulan ucapan Pua dalam satu majlis kutipan dana November lalu, di mana ketua publisiti kebangsaan DAP itu didakwa berkata Najib merompak rakyat.

Saman itu difailkan di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur melalui Tetuan Hafarizam Wan Aisha dan Mubarak.

Peguam yang mewakili Najib, Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun memberitahu media pihaknya akan menyerahkan writ saman itu kepada peguam kedua-dua defendan hari ini.

Bernama melaporkan, dalam pernyataan tuntutan yang diterima media hari ini, Najib, 61, mendakwa pada 13 November tahun lepas, Pua sebagai seorang penceramah utama pada majlis makan malam Kutipan Dana DAP memberi ucapan berhubung isu 1MDB dan rakaman ucapan itu dimuat naik defendan kedua sendiri dan/atau ejennya di laman YouTube Mediarakyat dan laman web Mediarakyat di bawah tajuk "Tony Pua: Najib is Creating the Biggest Scandal Ever in the History of Malaysia".

Perdana menteri mendakwa rakaman itu kemudiannya dikongsi oleh defendan pertama dan/atau ejennya di laman Facebooknya dan juga defendan kedua dan/atau ejennya di laman Facebook Mediarakyat.

Sehingga 2 Mac sebanyak 194,979 rakaman itu ditonton di laman YouTube Mediarakyat manakala 200,709 pengguna Facebook mengikuti rakaman itu di laman Facebook Pua dan 165,293 lagi pengguna Facebook Mediarakyat mengikuti rakaman itu.

Najib berkata berdasarkan fakta itu, sejumlah besar pengguna Internet menonton rakaman itu dan mendengar perkataan fitnah dinyatakan Pua, lapor Bernama.

Katanya, rakaman ucapan itu mengandungi perkataan merujuk dan berkaitan dengannya yang memfitnahnya dan individu dikenali sebagai "Prime Minister" dalam perkataan fitnah itu semestinya merujuk secara spesifik kepadanya (Najib).

Beliau mendakwa perkataan fitnah itu dalam erti kata biasa atau lazim antaranya membawa maksud plaintif merompak duit rakyat berkaitan urus niaga 1MDB dan oleh itu plaintif adalah seorang yang tidak boleh dipercayai dan tidak layak memegang jawatan awam.

Bernama melaporkan, Najib yang juga presiden Umno mendakwa defendan pertama dan kedua tidak menghubunginya bagi mengesahkan kebenaran perkataan fitnah itu sebelum menerbitkannya.

Najib melalui peguamnya menghantar notis tuntutan kepada kedua-dua defendan  pada 21 November tahun lepas tetapi mereka masih meneruskan penerbitan perkataan fitnah yang sama kepadanya.

Sehubungan itu, Najib menuntut ganti rugi am, teladan, kos dan perintah injunksi bagi menahan defendan pertama dan kedua atau ejen-ejennya daripada menerbitkan lagi perkataan fitnah itu terhadapnya.

Sementara itu, dalam reaksi segeranya, Pua memberitahu The Malaysian Insider, beliau sudah menjawab surat tuntutan yang dihantar perdana menteri pada November itu.

Bagaimanapun, beliau enggan mengulas mengenai saman itu sehingga beliau dan peguamnya Gobind Singh menerima notis itu.

Di dalam surat tuntutan yang ditandatangani Hafarizam itu, Pua dilaporkan diminta menyiarkan penarikan balik dan permohonan maaf dalam tempoh 14 hari di dua akhbar nasional.

Pua juga diminta mengeluarkan video itu daripada Internet, berhenti membuat kenyataan fitnah dan membayar ganti rugi kepada Najib atas kenyataan itu.

Menurut transkrip di dalam surat itu, Pua berkata dalam ucapannya: "Biar saya beritahu, inilah masalahnya dengan Barisan Nasional. Tak sesiapa berani menentang perdana menteri, dan sekarang Najib macam raja. Raja yang mencipta skandal terbesar dalam sejarah negara. Besar! Tak seorang pun berani cakap apa-apa, takda apa, takda sekelumit pun suara dari mana-mana pemimpin MCA, Gerakan atau Umno sekalipun...

"Ini memalukan, ini menimbulkan skandal bagi sebuah entiti dimiliki 100% Kementerian Kewangan dengan lembaga penasihatnya yang dipengerusikan perdana menteri sendiri tidak mampu mengemukakan akaun pada masanya, terutamanya apabila syarikat itu sangat besar, rakyat melihatnya dengan penuh minat, RM36 bilion hutang, mereka tak mampu kemukakan akaun pada masanya...

"Saya rasa cuma ada satu sebab kenapa ini boleh terjadi. Ia boleh terjadi kerana semua kaki-kaki MCA, MIC, Gerakan tak berani nak cabar perdana menteri mereka, semua kata okay okay terimakasih terimakasih.. teruskanlah, rompaklah wang rakyat." – tmi

Isu 1MDB: Zahid Hamidi patut arah KPN siasat...

Kenyataan Menteri Dalam Negeri Zahid Hamidi yang menyalahkan pembongkar skandal 1MDB menunjukkan menteri itu membutakan matanya terhadap dalang sebenar yang dikaitkan dengan skandal kehilangan dana USD 700 juta itu.

Dalam satu kenyataan semalam, Zahid menyifatkan pembongkaran skandal 1MDB oleh pembangkang, media, dan penganalisa kewangan sebagai satu serangan dan spekulasi tidak berasas untuk memburukkan imej negara di mata pelabur asing.

“Semua serangan terhadap 1MDB secara tidak langsung telah memberi kesan kepada negara dan dianggap sebagai satu serangan tersusun terhadap Malaysia. Semua yang berada di belakang serangan ini mesti bertanggungjawab terhadap apa-apa tuduhan palsu itu,” kenyataan Zahid Hamidi dipetik.

Menyelar kenyataan itu, Setiausaha Publisiti Kebangsaan DAP Tony Pua mengatakan Zahid telah ‘salah tembak’.

“Zahid sudah tembak pihak yang salah. Sepatutnya dia letak kesalahan pada mereka yang rompak kerajaan dan pembayar cukai. Beliau juga patutnya salahkan mereka yang membiarkan rompakan besar ini terjadi di depan mata mereka,” ujar Tony.

Pembongkaran 1MDB oleh pelbagai media tempatan dan antarabangsa mengaitkan keluarga Perdana Menteri Najib Tun Razak, taikun Low Taek Jho dan Pejabat Perdana Menteri dengan  ‘kehilangan’ RM2.5 bilion dana 1MDB dan mengakibatkan syarikat kerajaan itu mengumpul hutang sehingga RM42 bilion.

Menurut Tony, media dan rakyat berhak tahu dan tidak boleh dipersalahkan oleh sesiapa pun hanya kerana menyatakan kebimbangan mereka terhadap situasi tanggungan kewangan 1MDB.

“Daripada menyebut ‘semua serangan, spekulasi dan dakwaan tidak berasas oleh pihak tertentu’ , mengapa tidak Menteri Dalam Negeri mengarahkan Ketua Polis Negara (KPN) yang gila twitter itu untuk siasat dakwaan-dakwaan ini?

“Setakat yang saya tahu, semua dakwaan dibuat, khususnya pemindahan USD700 juta (RM2.5 bilion) ke dalam akaun yang dikawal oleh Jho Low disokong dengan dokumen berfakta.

“Jika Zahid, KPN dan semua Kabinet ada masalah memahami semua tuduhan salahlaku dalam transaksi 1MDB, saya  menawarkan diri untuk membuat satu pembentangan bertajuk “1MDB:Berakhirnya Sebuah Kejatuhan” kepada mereka.

“Setiap soalan mereka saya akan jawab tanpa apa-apa sekatan agar semua kesinisan dan sikap teragak-agak mereka terhadap kritikan dapat dibersihkan.

“Namun, adakah kabinet sedia dengar kebenaran? atau mereka terus akan jadi seperti pepatah tiga monyet yang ada mata tak melihat, ada telinga tak mahu dengar, ada mulut tak mahu bercakap, dan berterusan salahkan orang yang tidak bersalah,” sindir Tony.-Roketkini.com

Najib sues DAP's Pua over 1MDB...

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has filed a defamation suit against DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua over Pua's speech against the controversial 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

It is understood that this is the first time a serving prime minister has sued a lawmaker.

The suit was filed with the registrar of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Najib is represented by the law firm of Hafarizam, Wan Aisha and Mubarak.

The suit is in relation to a speech made by Pua (left) at a party fund-raising dinner last November. Also named as a defendant in the suit is Chan Chee Kong, who owns the Mediarakyat.net portal.

The speech was recorded in video titled "Tony Pua: Najib is creating the biggest scandal ever in the history of Malaysia".

Najib's lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun, when contacted, confirmed that the suit had been filed but declined to divulge details.

Almost 200,000 video views

In the statement of claim sighted by Malaysiakini, Najib claims that the video recording and Pua's speech implied that Najib had stolen or is going to continue to steal the people's money with regard to the 1MDB project.

It also meant that the PM, as chairperson of 1MDB's advisory board, had abused his powers for personal gain, and hence had betrayed the public.

Najib claimed that the speech made by Pua also meant that he is untrustworthy and unfit to hold public office.

The claim further stated that the video, which was uploaded on YouTube, had close to 195,000 views as of March 2 this year.

Najib further claimed that Chan had practised irresponsible journalism and that such slander had extensively damaged his reputation.

The PM is seeking exemplary, aggravated and general damages. He is also seeking an injunction to stop the defendants from repeating and publishing such slanderous and libellous statements.

Najib is further seeking an apology, which is to be published in national newspapers and magazines, and a removal of the said libellous recording. He is further seeking costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

PM on suing spree

Earlier, it was reported that Najib has sent a letter of demand to Pua, dated Nov 21, seeking an apology from the second-term Petaling Jaya Utara lawmaker.

Previously, Najib has filed a suit against Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd - the operator of Malaysiakini - over comments made on two articles by the news portal's readers.

He has also sent letters of demand to PKR vice-president and secretary-general Rafizi Ramli and lately, to PAS and its party organ Harakah, also related to revelations made by the two on 1MDB.

When contacted, Pua declined to comment on grounds that he has yet to receive the notice on Najib's suit.- mk

PM cannot wash hands of PetroSaudi scam...

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s simple statement that all’s well with 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has failed completely to address the stunning revelation that massive funds have been allegedly ripped off from the 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture the day after the joint venture (JV) agreement was signed.

Whistleblower website Sarawak Report together with London’s Sunday Times have done an in-depth investigation by browsing through thousands of relevant emails and documents related to the joint venture and the picture stitched together by them is shocking and sensational.

The entire joint venture, falsely billed as worth US$2.5 billion, was a fraud allegedly orchestrated by Najib’s family friend Jho Low.

Leveraging on his special relations with the prime minister’s family to the hilt, Jho Low achieved the fantastic feat of rushing through this multi-billion dollar JV deal in a matter of days, with the top management of 1MDB shockingly appearing more as spectators rather than active participants.

1MDB innocent bystander?

Imagine the then CEO of 1MDB Shahrol Halmi was brought into the proceedings only as late as Sept 15, 2009, a mere two weeks from the signing of the JV agreement when 1MDB was obliged to inject US$1 billion cash immediately.

In fact, Shahrol had not even seen PetroSaudi International’s company profile as intimated by him in an email dated Sept 20 to Jho Low (below) and Tarek Obaid, founder of PSI.

When Shahrol and his team met their counterparts for the first time in London on Sept 23, they were presented with the already completed JV agreement drafted earlier by Jho Low’s team. By Sept 29, the agreement was signed.

Central to this scam is that PetroSaudi, a cashless shell, had acted as a front for Jho Low to siphon cash pumped in by 1MDB. PetroSaudi’s more than US$2 billion assets are only paper valuation of oil concessions it did not own.

On Sept 30, a day after signing the agreement, US$700 million was paid by 1MDB, ostensibly to PSI, but in fact to an account in Zurich belonging to Good Star Ltd, which is controlled by Jho Low.

This payment was in compliance with a clause in the JV agreement whereby there was a US$700 million “loan repayment” obligation to PSI, payable upon signing the JV agreement.

The above details of the transactions were published in Sarawak Report that reproduced selected email and documents to substantiate its report. A similar story featuring the flamboyant Jho Low as a “secret broker for 1MDB” was published simultaneously in the century-old Sunday Times.

Probably aware of the gravity of this scandal, Najib called in 1MDB and its auditor Deloitte to brief the cabinet. As a result, the PM issued a statement on March 4, saying “recent allegations directed at 1MDB relate to transactions undertaken by third parties such as PetroSaudi, not 1MDB.”

The PM further said that “cabinet expressed confidence that no wrong-doing has been committed within 1MDB”.

Not just audit, but probe

It is significant to note that the PM has not denied the veracity of the scam as exposed by Sarawak Report; he only disagrees that 1MDB was involved.

How could 1MDB be not involved, when it partnered with a shell, for which 1MDB had to pump in massive cash, only to be allegedly siphoned off fraudulently?

The best scenario for 1MDB is that it is guilty of gross dereliction of duty, and the worst, complicity in crime - from the executive level right up to PM himself, who chairs its advisory board besides heading the Finance Ministry, which wholly owns 1MDB.

In fact, the PM has to bear a special responsibility for this fiasco, for it was based on his special relationship with Jho Low that the latter was able to pull off this spectacular ‘Heist of the Century’, as billed by Sarawak Report.

The PM has also instructed the auditor-general to verify 1MDB’s accounts. That is of course a right move.

But what is even more urgent and imperative is to instruct both MACC and the police - aided by forensic auditors - to launch a full-scale probe to uncover all aspects of frauds, abuse of power and criminal dereliction of duty and bring the culprits to book.

In view of the extensive scandals plaguing this so-called sovereign wealth fund - monumental debts of RM49 billion, repeated failure to repay loans on time, and heavy and persistent operating losses - MACC and the police should extend their investigations beyond the abortive 1MDB-PetroSaudi JV to cover the fund’s entire operation. - Kim Quek.mk

Polis salah, gagal bawa Sugumar ke hospital...

cheers.