Former Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, who made a damning allegation today implicating lawyer Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, says this is just the beginning of more revelations.
Apandi, in a Facebook posting ‘A prelude to a chapter in my memoirs!’ at 8.08pm, claimed that Sri Ram was sent by Dr Mahathir to discuss a move to arrest then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Apandi told Twentytwo13 he has “a lot to say”, adding “you will be reading it in my memoirs”.
“This chapter about Sri Ram is only a small part of it. There are so many other things. Batu Puteh incident … why Dr Mahathir withdrew the case at the eleventh hour although everything had been filed and fixed for hearing.”
“Banyak, banyak cerita (Many stories). A lot to write, a lot to tell.”
Apandi said he made today’s posting because he wanted the people to know the truth.
He wrote that he met Sri Ram and a young Chinese lawyer at his home in January 2018 where Sri Ram claimed “he had a bigger agenda at hand” and that Dr Mahathir wanted Apandi to arrest Najib.
Asked why he is making the revelations only now, Apandi said: “Because I find Gopal Sri Ram is acting as if he is the A-G. He is not the A-G. His shoes are getting too big for him. Itu sahaja (That’s all).
“I have no grudge against him but people need to know.”
Asked if the young Chinese lawyer is known by his initials and drives luxurious cars, Apandi answered in the affirmative.
“This is the first unveiling. No one knows about this.
Asked if he feared repercussions, Apandi said: “What repercussions? I speak nothing but the truth and fear nothing but the truth. And it’s all recorded. If you read my posting, I had CCTVs and I have bodyguards.”
When told that the closed-circuit television camera recordings would not have audio, Apandi replied: “Semua adalah (It’s all there). I have seven bodyguards and they are all from (police) Special Branch. It’s all recorded.”
Here’s an excerpt of Apandi’s Facebook posting:
Then suddenly, he (Sri Ram) said, that was only an excuse to see me and that he had a bigger agenda at hand.
“Tun M sent me to see you.”
“He wants you to arrest Najib at his office, you go tomorrow at 2pm, we have arranged for the police in Putrajaya to do what is necessary on your instructions. We have also arranged for a magistrate to issue the remand order when he is brought before him or her.”
“Brother, you will be a hero in the eyes of the people and you will be the first AG to arrest a sitting Prime Minister.”
“Don’t worry, we have laid the ground plans, all I need now is for you to agree.”
Then I asked him, “On what grounds is he supposed to be arrested for?”
He said: “Brother, people out there are frustrated and unhappy, the fact that you arrest him, never mind the reason, will make people happy.”
Gopal Sri Ram was persuasive and he had wanted a response immediately.
I said to let me sleep on it.
He then left with the young Chinese lawyer he brought with him.
(End of excerpt).
Apandi told Twentytwo13 he had no plans to lodge a police report just yet.
“We wait and see. Mark my words. I fear no one except Allah.”
Apandi also dismissed the revelation was a political move, stressing he no longer had any links to Umno.
Apandi was appointed A-G during Najib’s time in office but was replaced by Tan Sri Tommy Thomas after Pakatan Harapan won the 14th general election in May 2018.
The Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition suffered an embarrassing defeat in the said election as Najib was implicated in several high-profile cases, namely SRC International and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
“I want to put on record I severed my relationship with Umno ever since I became a judicial commissioner in 2003. As a judge I could not be associated with any political party.”
Apandi was confirmed as a High Court judge in 2007, serving in Kuala Lumpur. He was appointed a Court of Appeal judge on April 14, 2010 and on Sept 30, 2013, he was elevated to the Federal Court. He replaced Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail as A-G in 2015.
“They (critics) keep on harping on this. When the (Dewan Rakyat) Speaker (Tan Sri Mohamad) Ariff (Md Yusof) was a PAS member and stood as a PAS candidate (in the 2004 general election), nobody brought it up. Why victimise me?”
