KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 ― Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said today that the Attorney-General’s (AG) decision yesterday on the RM2.6 billion controversy meant that there is legally no case against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Despite this, however, the Gua Musang MP fondly known as “Ku Li” agreed that AG Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali’s explanation may not sit well with the public.
“If the AG has said there is no case, that means there is no case. Up to now, the answers satisfy the present situation. Because there is no case to answer.
“Legally, that is is the position. But in court of public opinion things might be different,” he told reporters when met outside the Parliament lobby today.
Asked later if he thought the AG’s decision to close the books on both the RM2.6 billion and SRC International cases meant the end of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga, Ku Li said: “Hard to say because the Public Accounts Committee has yet to table its report in Parliament. This will definitely go on.”
At a press conference yesterday, Apandi announced that he has found no evidence of wrongdoing in the corruption probes on SRC International, a unit formerly owned by 1MDB, and the transfer of a RM2.6 billion donation into Najib’s private accounts.
He added the he will return the investigation papers to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and instruct them to close the cases.
In a response last night, Najib said that he welcomed Apandi’s decision, and urged the public to put the matter to rest.
The prime minister also called the issue an “unnecessary distraction” for the country and said Apandi’s decision only confirmed his position all along that no crime had been committed.
Today, however, the MACC said that the AG’s decision will be reviewed by its Operations Review Panel, a special oversight panel that reviews cases not pursued by the AG’s Chambers.
