MUHAMMAD Shafee Abdullah will apply to have Gopal Sri Ram recused as special prosecutor, saying he will not get a fair trial as the former judge has an axe to grind with him.

The Umno lawyer told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur court complex today that his combative relationship with the former Federal Court judge stretched back decades.

“My quarrel with Sri Ram has been going on for a long time, since I was a young public prosecutor in 1979.

“When you suddenly get powers like that (chief prosecutor), you look around and see who you can aim your gun at. And I happen to be the one. This is what is happening. This is a bullying technique.”

Sri Ram was appointed as senior public prosecutor on August 31 to assist in the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ pending cases involving the misappropriation of funds linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

He was Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyer in the latter’s second sodomy case, and is now leading a team of deputy public prosecutors against Shafee, who was charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 at the sessions court today.

Shafee’s press conference was called following a confrontation in court, when lawyers argued over his bail amount.

Sri Ram said Shafee had evaded arrest by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission by switching cars at the Pavilion Residences in Kuala Lumpur when the lawyer went to meet his client, former prime minister Najib Razak.

“We received information from MACC that he (Shafee) gave them the slip at Pavilion by changing cars, and we were not able to arrest him until this morning, despite our efforts that began at 4.30am yesterday.”

After bail was set, Shafee, who was represented by six lawyers, stood up to protest the claim.

“(Sri Ram) is insinuating that I avoided arrest. This is the most ridiculous allegation because no one can travel without booking a ticket,” he said, adding that enforcement officers were “aware” of his flight yesterday morning from Johor Baru, which he rescheduled to 6.10pm.

“If there were MACC officers, they would have seen me clearly in my usual attire, as I’m dressed now. And this nonsense about me changing cars, there is no evidence of that,” he said, adding that he drove an Audi TT8, “a car you cannot miss”.

“I have not changed the car. I took the plane (back) from Johor and used the same route back to my house, had a quick dinner, and went back to Pavilion to see my client on another matter.

“My car was parked by the fountain at Pavilion. Again, a blind bat would have seen it.”

He said he had gone to meet Havinder Singh, who is his lead counsel, at a “five-star hotel” in Damansara Heights later that evening.

“Again, in the open. To say I was doing a ‘magic show’ is very unfair.”

He said after one of his phones “broke down”, he borrowed his daughter’s phone and provided the number to an MACC officer he had met earlier.

“I am here. I volunteered to be in the witness box for you to cross-examine, rather than (to hear) this nonsense from the Bar.”

Sri Ram responded by saying the information provided by MACC was not nonsense.

Shafee then stated in court his intent to file an application to have Sri Ram recused, as he did not want it to be perceived as an “afterthought”.

On a claim by Sri Ram that “there are no politicians in this court”, and that the case brought against Shafee was not politically motivated, the lawyer said Sri Ram represented PKR president-elect Anwar, who had received an affidavit on the RM9.5 million claim.

“In that capacity, he was not independent. He is projecting the interest of and pushing forward his agenda to get an acquittal (for Anwar).

“The point that I want to make is, how can the same person be a deputy public prosecutor, involving the same RM9.5 million? Isn’t it in his interest to get me convicted to assist his case (involving Anwar)?”

On his relationship with Sri Ram, Shafee later said: “I have a history with my learned friend, in the sense that we don’t have a very pleasant relationship. At best, I say lukewarm in court.”

Shafee today claimed trial to four money laundering charges, involving two payments, totalling RM9.5 million, from Najib between 2013 and 2014.

He was also charged with tax offences after he “engaged in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activity” by making an incorrect return through the omission of the RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million payments he received for the financial years 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Case management has been set for October 2. – September 13, 2018.