Salleh Keruak: PM is owed a huge apology

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Razak has been subject to gross injustice through trial by media, Communications and Mulitmedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak said today.

“He was ‘convicted’ in a court of public opinion, based not on evidence, but based on a mere allegation.

“Those who have slandered the prime minister owe him a huge apology, which, of course, we know will never happen,” he said in a blog post.

Salleh was referring to allegations, specifically by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), of RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib’s bank accounts that it claimed came from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

He said Najib was subjected to a barrage of attacks by the local and foreign media, bloggers included, after WSJ came out with the headline on July 2, 2015: “Investigators believe money flowed to Malaysian leader Najib’s accounts amid the 1MDB probe.”

“In short, it was a trial by media and Najib was being tried and convicted in the court of public opinion due to this media onslaught.

“And he was being treated as guilty until and unless he could prove his innocence, which was precisely what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.”

Salleh noted that WSJ had now admitted that the money was not from 1MDB after all but was a donation from Middle Eastern sources.

“And that appears to be also the basis of the recent ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) special report.

“Even Dr Mahathir no longer talks about stolen money but a donation and he is shifting the issue from where the money came from to how the money was spent.”

Tracing the events, Salleh said WSJ came out mid last year with a so-called revelation on the funds in Najib’s personal accounts.

He said this triggered the setting up of a Special Task Force, the purpose of which, according to the announcement, was to investigate the allegation that Najib had stolen USD700 million, or RM2.6 billion, of 1MDB’s money and had transferred it to his personal bank accounts.

He said WSJ reported: “Malaysian investigators scrutinising a controversial government investment fund have traced nearly $700 million of deposits into what they believe are the personal bank accounts of Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, according to documents from a government probe.”

Salleh noted that this would mean, according to what WSJ said, the investigation had started before July 2, 2015 and was not the result of WSJ’s “exposé.”

He posed the question on whether the documents were given to WSJ to implicate and slander the prime minister.

“And WSJ confirmed it was in possession of documents related to that probe (which means the investigation had already been launched before July 2, 2015 if there were already documents related to the probe).

“This in itself sounds very suspicious because WSJ said its July 2, 2015 report was based on the investigation while the official statement from the Special Task Force was that it was set up to investigate the WSJ’s July 2, 2015 ‘exposé.’

“So which came first? And if WSJ’s report on July 2, 2015 came first and the launch of the Special Task Force came after, as what we are being told, this would mean WSJ was given documents that were not based on any investigation but were planted to slander the Prime Minister.”

Salleh said on July 4, 2015, the Attorney-General said he had just received the documents regarding the investigation and on July 8, 2015, it was announced that a Special Task Force had been set up to investigate the allegation.

“So where did WSJ obtain its ‘evidence’ from and which ‘probe’ are they referring to?

“At that time, Malaysians should have already smelled a rat.

“In fact, WSJ was actually quite vague about the whole issue but due to the manner the report was crafted, it was made to appear like a crime had been committed.”

Salleh noted, for example, WSJ said: “Documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal include bank transfer forms and flow charts put together by government investigators that reflect their understanding of the path of the cash.

“The original source of the money is unclear and the government investigation doesn’t detail with what happened to the money that went into Mr Najib’s personal accounts.”

Salleh added that, in short, WSJ said it did not really know what had happened.

“But then its stories thereafter, as well as the stories from others, give the impression that it knew precisely what happened.”

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