Cops obtain arrest warrant for Sarawak Report founder
(Malay Mail Online) – Police confirmed today that an arrest warrant has been obtained for Clare Rewcastle-Brown, the London-based founder of Sarawak Report (SR) who has been publishing exposes on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
In a brief statement, CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said the warrant, granted by a court here, is for offences under Sections 124B and 124I of the Penal Code.
“We will proceed with the applications to place her on the Aseanapol wanted list as well as the Interpol red notice,” CP Mohmad said.
Section 124B, which covers activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy, stipulates that those convicted under the law will be liable to a maximum prison term of 20 years.
Section 124I, on the other hand, states that “any person who, by word of mouth or in writing or in any newspaper, periodical, book, circular, or other printed publication or by any other means including electronic means spreads false reports or makes false statements likely to cause public alarm, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years.”
The Sarawak-born Rewcastle-Brown has been accused of colluding with several opposition lawmakers here in a conspiracy to unseat Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by using the 1MDB controversy.
Her whistleblower site SR has published numerous incriminating documents on the troubled state investor but these were recently cast in doubt when a man claiming to be Rewcastle-Brown’s former associate said in a video confession that they were doctored.
Rewcastle-Brown has denied the allegation and stood by SR’s reports, however, even saying recently that she is considering taking legal action against her accusers.
Police have been investigating SR over its extensive coverage of 1MDB while local Internet regulators last month decided to block access to the site in Malaysia.
Last week, however, SR published what it claimed was a draft document containing corruption charges against the prime minister and one other person connected to the 1MDB scandal.
According to the site, the charge sheet was in the final stages of preparation by Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail before he was removed from the post of Attorney-General.
When announcing Abdul Gani’s removal, Putrajaya explained that it was due to health reasons.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has also issued a statement denying the existence of such a draft charge sheet. Several MACC officers have since been questioned on the matter.
