LAWYER Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said he has never disrespected the judiciary and will challenge the contempt proceedings initiated by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas today.

“What did I say that amounted to contempt? I want to know this. I want to see the paper. I want to challenge it,” Shafee told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur court complex.

“Because what he (Thomas) said so far is not truthful. He has recoiled himself. He is completely using the rear gear. I am not fearful of this at all because I’ve never disrespected any court.”

This morning, Thomas got the nod to begin proceedings against Shafee for contempt of court over comments made to reporters on February 7.

According to the application, Shafee had allegedly violated Order 52 of the Rules of Court 2012 by seeking to influence the court’s decision to allow the A-G’s application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal over three money-laundering charges against former prime minister Najib Razak.

Shafee told reporters that it was Najib’s defence lawyers who had originally wanted judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who is presiding over the SRC International case, to impose a gag order.

“The gag order is to prevent anyone commenting on the case, especially on its merits, like giving an opinion on whether Najib, or myself, is guilty of what is being charged.

“We were the ones who asked, and we (initially) got it from justice Sofian (Abd Razak),” said Shafee, referring to the previous judge presiding over the case.  

“The A-G was the one who resisted. He came to the court and said this is a free country, there is freedom of speech, anybody can speak about any case or anything.

“He said we do not want to be a government that is oppressive. So, we want it to be free.” 

Shafee said Thomas has yet to apply for a gag order on the case: “If people are misbehaving in the media about pending cases, the A-G must do it. The A-G did not do it. Until today he has not done so.

“But he chose to take an action against me, apparently over a statement which was given as a result of a question, just like this, from a reporter.

“Someone asks me, what is the prospects of my case, and I said this, if you give me a straight judge, if you give me witnesses that are not coached, if you give me evidence that are not fabricated, I have a good chance of winning.

“How could that be contemptuous? That is laughable. I am looking forward to the prospect of receiving this document. I want to see how independent and free this A-G boasted about when he appeared in court.

“And he said give everybody the freedom of speech.

“When I appeared before justice Nazlan, I stood and told justice Nazlan that I’ve got every confidence that he will be a judge that is fair. I said it in open court.”

Justice Firuz Jaffril set case management to March 25.

The A-G’s Chambers is to serve Shafee with his papers within 14 days. ­– March 1, 2019.