Police to check if ‘leaked AG Report’ is genuine

IGP Khalid says Sarawak Report editor is ‘unreliable’ because several articles in the past turned out to be incorrect.

(FMT) – Police are to check on the authenticity of extracts from a classified report by the Auditor-General that was purportedly leaked to the Sarawak Report website.

The Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, took a swipe at Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown as being “unreliable” because of several incorrect reports in the past.

He said any further action would depend on whether the contents published by Sarawak Report were genuine. Discussions would be held with the Attorney-General, Mohd Apandi Ali.

“And if it’s true, we will investigate it under the Official Secrets Act. So calm down first, everyone,” he told reporters today while at a Hari Raya open house hosted by home minister and deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Yesterday, communications minister Salleh Said Keruak had called for an urgent police investigation to determine how Sarawak Report had obtained material from the Auditor-General’s report into 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

The report was prepared for submission to the Public Accounts Committee, parliament’s watchdog on government spending, as part of its investigations into the controversy over 1MDB’s finances and investments.

Khalid declared that Rewcastle-Brown was not a reliable news person as she had on several occasions published news that turned out to be incorrect.

“She only wants to create chaos in this country, so don’t believe Sarawak Report,” he said. The public should be discerning when reading reports published by foreign based websites, particularly Sarawak Report.

Police have been urged to take action against Rewcastle-Brown, who is based in London.