JAILED de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has joined the chorus of voices asking why the lead prosecutor in his sodomy trial was allegedly paid by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

In a statement today, Anwar said the Sarawak Report’s allegation that the prime minister had transferred RM9.5 million to lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was “very severe”.

“This has to be investigated by the authorities immediately. 

“What was the purpose of the huge funds channelled by Najib into the private account of the lawyer, who was appointed by Najib’s government to handle the prosecution against me?

“The more serious question now is: who else has received money from SRC International through Najib’s personal account?” said Anwar.

Whistleblower site Sarawak Report reported in its article “Najib Paid Anwar’s Prosecutor RM9.5 Million From 1MDB Slush Fund WHY?” on May 31 that Shafee was the “biggest individual recipient of money from Najib’s 1MDB slush fund accounts”.

It reported that Najib allegedly paid Shafee RM5.2 million in February 2014 and RM4.3 million in September 2013. 

Sarawak Report said the money came from the bank account “that had been identified as having been funded by money from the 1MDB subsidiary SRC, which had borrowed some RM4 billion from the civil service pension fund KWAP”.

Sarawak Report alleged that Shafee received the first payment of RM5.2 million in February 2014 just a fortnight before the Appeal Court overturned the acquittal of opposition leader Anwar’ of sodomy charges. 

Shafee was the public prosecutor in the successful appeal. 

Shafee did not respond to calls or messages from The Malaysian Insight.

Earlier today, PKR Youth lodged a report urging the police to investigate Sarawak Report’s claims. – June 2, 2017.