I fully support PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s call for Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the lawyer who successfully led the prosecution that secured his sodomy conviction, to be investigated.

Anwar made the call after allegations emerged that Shafee received RM9.5 million from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak in two tranches – on Sept 11, 2013, and on Feb 17, 2014.

Anwar said: “The claim by Sarawak Report that RM9.5 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds were transferred from Najib’s personal bank account to Shafee’s personal bank account is very serious.

“This matter urgently needs to be investigated by the authorities. What is the purpose of Najib transferring such large amount of funds to the personal bank account of a private lawyer who the Najib administration appointed to handle my prosecution?”

The Prime Minister or the Attorney-General should firstly disclose how much Shafie had cost the government and the taxpayers for engaging Shafie to lead the prosecution team against Anwar, firstly, at the Court of Appeal and secondly, at the Federal Court, when this was the task of the Attorney-General. What were the special or extraordinary circumstances justifying the appointment of Shafee as prosecutor for Anwar’s case.

The Court of Appeal on March 7, 2014, overturned the decision of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, which acquitted Anwar, and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. The Federal Court on Feb 10, 2015, upheld the Court of Appeal’s conviction of Anwar.

Malaysians are entitled to know whether Najib’s RM9.5 million payment to Shafie had anything to do with the two Anwar appeal cases at the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.

Furthermore, the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamad Apani should appoint an independent prosecutor to probe into claims that Anwar’s prosecutor got money from Najib, and the integrity of Anwar’s charge, trial and imprisonment.

(Speech at DAP kopitiam dialogue at Bakri, Johor on Saturday 3rd June 2017 at 10 am)