PAS lawyer slams MACC chief’s ‘tell-all’ press conference as prejudicial

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PETALING JAYA: A PAS lawyer has slammed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull for giving a “tell-all” press conference regarding the 1MDB scandal.

Wan Zainuddin Wan Musa said the statement Shukri gave was prejudicial against Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, as it took place on the same day that the former prime minister was having his statement recorded by the MACC.

“The statement shouldn’t be released openly because it will bring about the perception that there was political interference in the case before this,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 22).

Wan Zainuddin said that Shukri should have recorded his statement in the form of a statutory declaration or released it to the special taskforce set up to probe 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad).

He also said that Shukri could have lodged a police report regarding the matter.

“In the police report, reveal the names of the individuals who were said to have threatened him. Let the police conduct investigations,” said Wan Zainuddin.

Earlier on Tuesday (May 22), Shukri claimed at a press conference that he and his officers were accused of conspiring to topple the then-Barisan Nasional government in 2016.

In July 2016, Shukri left for Washington to bring up the 1MDB issue with US authorities, following the removal of former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and the retirement of Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed as MACC chief.

However, Shukri said he was followed by someone during his trip to the United States.

Fearing for his life, Shukri met up with a friend who worked in the New York Police Department (NYPD), where he was given three bodyguards for protection.