Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. -filepic
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (pic) has claimed that it is a "ridiculous" accusation that he had offered one of the accused in the murder of Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais RM3.5mil to plead guilty.
"The accusation by the seventh accused to implicate me is totally ridiculous," the former prime minister said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 2).
Najib said the first time his name was implicated in the murder of Kevin Morais was when investigative news portal Sarawak Report had reported that the DPP was killed as he was involved in the investigation of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd.
"At that time, I assumed that the Sarawak Report allegations were also ridiculous as many others were involved in the investigation of every case.
"It is illogical that Kevin Morais was made a victim but many more who investigated the case are still alive, no?" he said.
Najib also accused the propaganda squad of Pakatan Harapan of fanning the public's hate towards him.
He also pointed out that after the 14th General Election in May, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull had denied that Kevin Morais' murder was connected to the RM2.6bil scandal, SRC International or even 1MDB.
"This has very clearly refuted the accusations and slander made by Sarawak Report," he said.
He also criticised Bernama for being "mischievous" in using a "sensational tabloid-like headline for the story.
Earlier, Bernama reported that S. Ravi Chandaran, the seventh accused in the murder of Kevin Morais, had told the High Court that he was offered RM3.5mil by Najib to admit guilt.
Ravi Chandaran, in his testimony on Tuesday, had admitted in court that a prison officer had offered him RM3.5mil on behalf of Najib to plead guilty to the murder.
He told the court that besides this, he also received an offer from Kevin Morais's younger brother, Datuk Richard Morais, to do the same.
Ravi Chandaran, who is the defence's sixth witness, said this when cross-examined by counsel Datuk N.Sivananthan, who is representing military pathologist Colonel Dr R. Kunaseegaran during the proceedings on the 24th day of the defence's case.
R. Dinishwaran, A.K Thinesh Kumar, M. Vishwanath; S. Nimalan, Ravi Chandaran, and Dr Kunaseegaran had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kevin Morais during their journey from Jalan Dutamas 1, Sentul, to No.1 Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015.
They are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
