Mahathir under investigation for defaming Attorney-General

Image
Press Trust of India Kuala Lumpur
Last Updated : Feb 15 2016 | 3:32 PM IST
Malaysia's powerful former premier Mahathir Mohamad is under investigation for defaming the Attorney-General in a blog post criticising him for failing to bring corruption charges against Prime Minister Najib Razak, police said today.
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said police had received several reports regarding the blog post.
"We have begun investigation a few days ago. If there is a case we will refer it to the Attorney-General," the police chief said without elaborating further.
In his post on February 5, Mahathir alleged that Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali had been appointed improperly.
He said Apandi has no credibility after he cleared Najib of any criminal offences or corruption arising from a graft probe into a USD 681 million deposit in his personal bank account.
Recently, ruling party UMNO's information chief Annuar Musa said Mahathir's recent post entitled "AG to AG" was seditious.
Mahathir, who was premier for 22 years before he stepped down in 2003, is a severe critic of Najib.
He hastaken his campaign against Najib a step further by becoming the patron of the Coalition of Umno Branch Chiefs Malaysia (GKCM) that is working to oust the prime minister and Umno president.
The group, which claimed to be represented by Umno branch leaders from all over the country, was formed last November to press Najib to step down.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 15 2016 | 3:32 PM IST

Next Story