KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 ― The publisher and Group CEO of The Edge Media Group, Ho Kay Tat has been summoned by the police for questioning today to explain the publication’s exposes on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy.
Assistant chief of the Inspector-General of Police Secretariat (Corporate Communications), ACP Asmawati Ahmad confirmed that Ho was called in to meet the police today but did not specify where the newsman is expected to record his statement.
“The Edge CEO Ho Kay Tat summoned by police today for questioning over articles in The Edge Financial Daily,” Asmawati said.
Local English daily The Sun later quoted Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirming that Ho is being investigated under Section 124 of the Penal Code, for “activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy”.
The media group was previously implicated as among the recipients of purportedly doctored documents leaked by former PetroSaudi International executive Xavier Andre Justo, who is facing trial in Thailand for blackmail and extortion.
On July 20, in what it said may be its last report, The Edge Financial Daily published another exposé on 1MDB, this time detailing billionaire Low Taek Jho’s alleged role in the multibillion ringgit controversy.
The business paper currently under investigation for its previous articles on the scandal claimed that the US$1.83 billion (RM6.96 billion) that state-owned 1MDB had invested in PSI between 2009 and 2011 was a scheme to defraud Malaysia that involved Low.
In a statement yesterday, Ho also said that the “thousands and thousands of emails and document attachments” regarding the controversial deal had been authenticated by an IT forensics expert.
Ho maintained that there was no political agenda or conspiracy in the paper’s coverage of the issue, despite knowing the risks of possible action by the Home Ministry - as now faced by the publication.
The Edge Financial Daily is published by The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd of The Edge Media Group that also publishes The Edge Malaysia weekly.
The Home Ministry said on July 1 that a show-cause letter has been issued to The Edge over what Putrajaya deemed to be unverified news that was published by the business paper on debt-laden 1MDB.
Yesterday, a Home Ministry official said no decision has been made regarding The Edge, after it was issued a show-cause letter on July 1 for publishing what the government deemed to be unverified news on debt-laden 1MDB.
Datuk Tong Kooi Ong who owns The Edge Media Group also came under travel restrictions yesterday.
