KUALA LUMPUR – Former Dang Wangi district deputy police chief Habibi Majinji told the high court here today that Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan did not mention any name of individuals, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in the police report lodged by him on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
When counsel Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who is representing Khairuddin, referred to the police report made by his client at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters on December 12, 2014, Habibi agreed with the lawyer that in the police report Khairuddin only mentioned his suspicions on the governance of 1MDB.
“The police report was later referred to the Bukit Aman criminal investigation unit,” said Habibi when cross-examined by Haniff on the third day of hearing of Khairuddin’s suit against former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and seven other individuals on his wrongful detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) before judicial commissioner Quay Chew Soon.
Hanif: “Do you agree that Khairuddin also uploaded comments on the 1MDB issue on his Facebook account, but did not mention any individuals, including Najib?”
Habibi: “Agree.”
As the suit’s third defendant, Habibi also agreed with Haniff’s suggestion that media reports on former attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail’s statement on setting a special team to investigate the 1MDB issue did not refer to any parties.
He also agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that Najib had issued a statement that alleged money entering his personal account was a wild accusation meant to sabotage the government.
Earlier, when reading out his witness statement, Habibi said he allowed the application of Bukit Aman organised crime investigation unit officer C. Muniandy to extend Khairuddin’s detention for 28 days under Sosma for the purpose of further investigation under Sections 124K and 124L of the Penal Code.
“I was satisfied with the detention extension application for Khairuddin as Muniandy needed witnesses and documents to carry out his investigation on the case,” said Habibi in his reply to a question by senior federal counsel, Andi Razalijaya A. Dadi.
In May 2018, Khairuddin filed a suit against Wan Aeidil Wan Abdullah and Muniandy – both investigating officers in the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department organised crimes investigation unit – and Habibi and Khalid, all named as the first to fourth defendants.
Also named as the fifth to eighth defendants were deputy public prosecutor Datuk Masri Mohd Daud, senior federal counsel Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud, former attorney-general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, and the government of Malaysia.
Khairuddin also claimed that he was detained by the authorities on September 18, 2015 under Section 124C of the Penal Code.
On September 23 the same year after he was released, the plaintiff was arrested again under Sosma and was in detention before being charged at the magistrates’ court here under Section 124L of the same act for attempting to sabotage the country’s banking and financial services.
On the whole, the plaintiff was detained for 60 days at Sg Buloh Prison. On May 12, 2017, the court announced the prosecution would not proceed with the charge against the plaintiff and Khairuddin was released and freed from the charge.
The plaintiff alleged that the actions of all defendants in detaining and prosecuting him in court were done in bad faith and violated his right to liberty under the federal constitution.
He also alleged that his reputation and image as a politician had been tarnished.
The court set May 28 for case management to set a date for the resumption of the hearing. – Bernama, April 28, 2021
