KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said today he had never ordered investigations into Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd cases to be "closed”, including those that were classified as "no further action”.

Testifying in his lawsuit against DAP’s Lim Kit Siang at the High Court, Apandi said any investigators could have reopened the probe if new evidence resurfaced.

"I challenge Lim to show that I had closed the investigations and disallowed further investigations into both 1MDB and SRC International cases,” he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.

Apandi was also quoted as saying that throughout his 47 years in the civil service, legal practice and judiciary, he had never committed any wrongdoing.

He added that he had never "abetted or aided” anyone related to 1MDB or its subsidiary SRC International.

To a question posed by Lim’s lawyer Ramkarpal Singh on whether investigations into 1MDB, SRC International had been completed as early as December 2015, Apandi denied the contention.

"Investigations were never completed even until the day I left the Attorney General’s Chambers.

"Whatever it is, I made the decision [to clear Najib of wrongdoing under the MACC Act and Penal Code] based on evidence that Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission had during the material time,” he said, referring to his January 26, 2016 press conference.

Apandi was also pressed on a news report which claimed he had refused to act on MACC review panel’s recommendation to press charges against Najib.

"I was of the opinion it was not worth responding to,” he said in response to Ramkarpal when posited with allegations published by Datuk Lim Chee Wee that he did not act upon the fact that RM42 million from SRC International had entered the former prime minister’s bank account.

Apandi also told the court that he left Umno during the 1990s, after he became an active member of the Malaysian Bar.

"I never rejoined Umno and I have nothing to do with them now. I also turned down the party’s offer to be a supreme council member,” he said.

He also said even though he held the position as Umno disciplinary board chairman from 2018 to 2019, Apandi maintained that he did not rejoin the party.

"The disciplinary board chairman does not need to be an Umno member,” he said, adding that he resigned as board chairman after party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi allegedly interfered with the disciplinary board’s duties.

On July 5, 2019, Mohamed Apandi had sued Lim and stated in his statement of claim that on May 6, 2019, Lim had written and caused to be published an article entitled "Dangerous fallacy to think Malaysia’s on the road to integrity” in Malaysiakini.

He claimed that the alleged libellous words in the article meant that he was involved in crime and had abetted in the 1MDB financial scandal, was a person with no morals and integrity, was unethical and had abused his power when he was the AG.

Mohamed Apandi who was the AG from July 27, 2015, to June 4, 2018, contended that the libellous words were untrue and written with the intention of tarnishing his image and credibility as a former Malaysian AG for cheap publicity.

He is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as RM10 million in general damages, an injunction to prevent Lim and/or his agents from publishing the alleged defamatory words again and other relief deemed fit by the court.