RM1.4 million to Sarawak Report came from real bank account, says Rafizi after PAS denial


Former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli says the account from which the RM1.4 million used to pay Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown is legitimate as he had verified it. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 1, 2019.

THE money used to pay Sarawak Report for its legal fees to settle PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s defamation suit came from the bank account of a person named Rameli Musa, said former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi said this in response to claims by PAS that the RM1.4 million paid to Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown had come from a fake account.

The PKR politician said he analysed the numbers on cheques issued by Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd and the photo of a Bank Islam cheque used to pay RM1.4 million to the account of Rewcastle-Brown’s lawyer in trust for the British journalist.

Rafizi also said he transferred money to the account number in the photo of the cheque and in the settlement agreement with Hadi, and found it to be legitimate.

“I transferred RM10 to the (Bank Islam) account number that was stated in the Rewcastle-Brown and Hadi settlement agreement and the account exists under the name Rameli Musa.

“The transfer also went through. This proves that the account that was noted in the agreement exists, and so too the RM1.4 million,” said Rafizi in a statement today.

The former Pandan MP was responding to PAS members who said he was spreading lies that Hadi had paid Rewcastle RM1.4 million to withdraw his defamation suit against her.

Rafizi said he had verified the account number by comparing it with three different cheques from Bank Islam.

PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan says the account number on a cheque allegedly used to pay Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown was false. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 1, 2019.

Earlier today, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi said the bank account number on the cheque used to pay Rewcastle was fake.

“Some people have checked the account number (in the photo) by attempting to make transfers of RM5 and RM1 to the account, but the account does not exist,” he said on Facebook.

PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad also said Sarawak Report’s confirmation of receiving the RM1.4 million was insufficient and called on Rewcastle-Brown to furnish more proof.

PAS has been adamant that neither the party nor Hadi had to pay Sarawak Report anything as part of the settlement agreement to Hadi’s defamation suit over a report the website published in 2016, alleging PAS had received RM90 million from Umno before the 14th general election.

Rewcastle-Brown’s lawyer Americk Sidhu, meanwhile, said there was no way the bank account used to transfer RM1.4 million to his client could have been fake.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, he said the cheque was genuine or the bank would not have cleared it. He also said that he personally witnessed the cheque being written but would not state who the account holder was. – March 1, 2019.


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Comments


  • Well done. You are very analytic.

    Posted 5 years ago by Anjing kawan Kucing Comel · Reply

  • Nasrudin now has eggs on his face. What a dimwit!

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • Rameli Musa is the Executive Chairman of Maju Nusa Sdn Bhd, a company that provides IP-based and end-to-end networking and telecommunications solutions. I

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • Rameli Musa is also the Pengerusi of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • So who is Musa guy aligned with? Is MACC going to "interview" or already did quietly. Interesting drama of lies after lies

    Posted 5 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply

  • Rafizi, we are really very worry and disappointed with your intelligence level and your actions reflected your capability and ability if given a Top Management position to you in either Government-linked agencies or Conglomerate private sector companies! How could you yourself being drag into this embarrassments and humiliations acts!

    PAS is really thinking all Malaysian or the rest of the World are brainless and IQ as low as PAS!

    Does anyone can be that stupid the Government, Finance Ministry or Bank Negara don't have any clue if the payment is non-existence or fake account?

    Do you know that if you need to made payment to a foreign bank that you required to fill the "Bank will issue Payment Declaration Form P" for amount exceeding the Bank Negara guideline? If without any transaction being traced in Malaysia, payment must made thru 3rd country to Sarawak Report Editor's Clare Rewcastle! Does it matter whether the payment made by PAS or 3rd party account holder as long as to Clare, she received the agreed settlement amount? Who bother or who could that stupid to made RM1.4m to Clare if the 3rd party account holder does not have any link or associate with PAS?

    PAS can fools those does not familiar with Bank Negara banking system like Rafizi and others! Definitely and surely PAS can't fool Bank Negara Governor, Finance Minister, Tun, Bank Islam and some others can access to this payment information!

    Those that are really stupid to test the Bank Islam PAS accounts or even to the extend to check on the internet as claimed by Rafizi!

    Rafizi, what do you think of yourself, "smart or dumb"? Aren't we concerns if our Leaders come with this type of intelligence level?

    Posted 5 years ago by SLR Steve · Reply