Najib to include A-G, MACC statements in Harakah suit

(The Star) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (pic) will include statements by the Attorney-General and Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission in his suit against Harakah.

Najib filed the defamation suit filed against Harakah managing director and writer Dr Rosli Yaakop and Harakahdaily portal editor-in-chief Taufek Yahya over an article on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and Najib’s stepson Riza Aziz.

Najib’s lead counsel, Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, said he has been instructed to amend the writ of summons and statement of claim to include statements by A-G Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and the MACC.

Mohd Hafarizam said after meeting High Court judge Justice Hue Siew Kheng in chambers on Tuesday that Mohamed Apandi and MACC had cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing concerning 1MDB and the RM2.6bil was a donation.

“Justice Hue ordered us to put in an application to amend the writ and statement of claim soonest possible for it to be heard and to be given further direction and the final case management is fixed on March 9,” he said.

He said Justice Hue also hinted at out of court settlement between the parties.

On the defendants’ application to tender 20 articles as exhibits during trial, Mohd Hafarizam said Justice Hue reserved her decision on the application and both parties were to raise it during trial by citing case law as to why they claimed that it was admissible.

“I have the right to object if the documents are irrelevant and not in accordance with the law,” Hafarizam added.

Najib had raised the objection on Dec 7, last year, saying that the 20 articles were irrelevant as the articles were published after he filed the defamation suit against  the two defendants.

Najib, who is suing in his personal capacity, said the Feb 19, 2015 article contained defamatory words against him.

In his suit filed on March 18, last year, Najib said the offending words had implied that he had abused his power to obtain wealth from a questionable source.

Najib is seeking an apology, damages and an injunction to prevent the defendants from further discussing or publishing the defamatory article either orally, in print or on the Internet.