Shafee compares Riza’s discharge with Guan Eng’s acquittal

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 3 years ago · Published on 19 May 2020 6:42PM · 4 Comments

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah wonders why people did not question former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ role in letting off the then finance minister in 2018 after the court had called for his defence. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, May 19, 2020.

NAJIB Razak’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today compared Riza Aziz’s discharge from money laundering charges with the 2018 acquittal of former finance minister Lim Guan Eng in a corruption case over his purchase of a Penang bungalow.

Shafee said people should question former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ role in letting off Lim after court had called for the DAP secretary-general’s defence.

“Lim benefited from the purchase of a property. The defence was called. The DPP was not happy with the withdrawal. The only person who agreed with the withdrawal was Tommy Thomas.

“So why aren’t you people questioning that? Why aren’t senior members of the Bar, those who are in politics, question (the prosecution): ‘Why did you let Lim Guan Eng go when defence had been called?’

“(Former Selangor MB and Umno politician) Khir Toyo was convicted and sent to jail during the Barisan Nasional administration. But during the opposition’s time, Lim Guan Eng was released,” Shafee told reporters after today’s hearing of Najib’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial.

The Penang High Court acquitted Lim on September 3, 2018 after his lawyers filed a representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for the case to be dropped. Lim was then finance minister following the 2018 general election.

Thomas had denied interfering as the A-G in Lim’s case while the deputy public prosecutor had explained that the charges were dropped after the discovery of fresh evidence.

Shafee today said Thomas had agreed in principle to Riza’s plea bargain deal, despite Thomas’ vehement denials.

“That is why Datuk Seri Sri Ram is not saying anything,” he said, referring to prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram in Riza’s case.

“It was going to be a difficult prosecution. I don’t want to say more. It is not nice. It is a tough case,” added Shafee, whose wife Tania Sciavetti is one of the lawyers representing Riza.

Shafee said Riza was returning the profits from a loan over which he had been “misled”. 

“He’s saying ‘I’m not guilty. I’m returning this because I want my life back’. 

“He got it all through a loan and he made a profit and he returns it all.”

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court last Thursday granted Riza a discharge not amounting to an acquittal from five counts of money laundering involving US$248 million (RM1.25 billion) of 1MDB-linked funds.

Riza was accused of laundering the money via Red Granite Pictures, a Hollywood production house he co-owned.

Following the court’s decision, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said the government expects to recover overseas assets worth an estimated US$107.3 million in a deal struck between the prosecution and Riza. – May 19, 2020.

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Comments

  • This must be the joke of the year. Over 1 billion ringgit compared to 5 million. Shafee is preposterous in thinking he can hoodwink the Malaysian public by making this comparison. This shows that he is insolent and shameless and a disgrace to the legal profession.

    Posted 3 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • The prosecution's case against LGE had collapsed prior to GE14, after the key prosecution witness, Citibank testified that the bank's own valuation of the property was the same amount as what LGE had paid for it.
    Thus, there being no gratification received by the accused, there was thus no more case for the prosecution to pursue.
    We must remember that after that key piece of evidence was adduced by skillful cross questioning by Ram Karpal Singh, it was Apandi that requested for a postponement of the case till after GE14, knowing full well that the prosecution would lose their case if it continued, and since BN would prefer to have the uncompleted case hanging over LGE's head rather than allow his exoneration to happen prior to the GE, the delay was sought.
    The dropping of the charges against LGE after the GE was merely a formality.

    There is simply no comparison between that case and the case involving the blatant theft of billions of RM from 1MDB that found its way into Riza Aziz's accounts, and Shafee knows it.

    Posted 3 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • This comparison makes no sense. Just make a fool of yourself.

    Posted 3 years ago by J Zhen · Reply

  • RM600,000 against RM1,250,000,000,000 and justice is serve, this is what happens when you have cow dung people managing the country. Verdict are made not on merits but on race and vengeance

    Posted 3 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply