Lester: Picture accidentally put into my video

(The Star) – Lester Melanyi claimed that the picture of the web designer allegedly used by Sarawak Report to fabricate 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) documents was mistakenly inserted into his video confession.

The former Sarawak Tribune editor said he did not know who put in the photograph of James Steward to support his allegation that a web designer forged e-mails and agreements on the instruction of Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

“That photo was inserted by somebody else. He apparently wanted to make it better by inserting the photo, so he Googled the name and found this guy,” he told The Staryesterday.

Lester had claimed in part two of his video confession that a web designer named James Steward Stephen had purportedly forged documents to discredit 1MDB.

Debunking this, Rewcastle-Brown said the photo shown in the video was that of a senior station manager with the bus company Abellio and that the picture had been lifted from a website where he was featured giving a local talk.

However, Lester stood by his allegation that the web designer worked part-time for Sarawak Report.

“You must remember he is not the only one with the same name in this planet. James Steward is a common name. It’s James Steward Stephen, by the way,” he said.

He also insisted that Sarawak Report sent him advance copies of articles to rewrite, despite Rewcastle-Brown’s refutation that the screenshots of the articles in the video were actually regular newsletter bulletins sent to the 7,000-odd subscribers who signed up to receive notifications of new stories.

“They have done the layout already when they push (the articles) to me. Once I localise it, I send it back to Clare with the heading ‘Done!’,” he claimed.

He added that he showed email proof of this to the police when they took his statement last weekend.

However, he did not show the emails to The Star.

Lester also alleged that Sarawak Report would “go to all lengths” to deny everything he had said.

“They may say eventually that I never existed and they don’t know me,” he said.

Meanwhile Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Seri Muhammad Sabtu Osman said police had recorded statements from Lester.

He said police officers from Bukit Aman were in Kuching on July 17 and 18 to record the statements and that Sarawak Police had assisted in the process.

Computer equipment was seized though no arrests were made, he said.