PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s defamation suit against former aide Muhammad Yusoff Rawther will be filed next week, lawyer Ramkarpal Singh said.

The suit will challenge Yusoff’s statutory declaration, in which he accused the Port Dickson MP of sexual harassment by attempting to force him to have sex.

The suit also follows the announcement by the Attorney-General’s Chambers that charges will not be pressed against Anwar due to insufficient evidence.

“This is to confirm that I have received instructions from Anwar a few days ago to commence a defamation suit against Yusoff in respect of the contents of a statutory declaration made by him on November 19, 2019.

“As the police investigations into the allegations in the said SD is now complete with the solicitor-general announcing recently that Anwar will not be charged as a result of such investigations, I will take the necessary steps to file the said defamation suit next week,” Ramkarpal said in a statement.

Solicitor-General Engku Nor Faizah Engku Atek three days ago said based on investigation papers submitted by the police, there are factual contradictions which do not support a charge under the Penal Code.

The solicitor-general had made the decision not to press charges as Attorney-General Tommy Thomas had recused himself from the case due to his links to the PKR president.

Yusoff today demanded the AGC to clarify its statement and what it meant by “factual contradictions”.

The 26-year-old former researcher has accused Anwar of sexual harassment at the latter’s home in Bukit Segambut  more than a year ago, on October 2, 2018.

He only revealed the allegation in November last year in his statutory declaration, and lodged a police report on the matter in December.

Anwar, who has been questioned by the police, has denied the allegation, saying he was busy campaigning for the Port Dickson by-election at the time.

The police investigation included Yusoff taking a polygraph test which lasted for four hours, and interviews with at least eight witnesses. – January 17, 2020.