In second statement to the police, Pua maintains he had nothing to do with 1MDB exposés

(Malay Mail Online) – Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua today repeated his position that he had nothing to do with the string of exposés on state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), as he spent the afternoon giving a second statement to the police on the issue.

The DAP lawmaker, who was summoned to give another statement as part of police investigations on an alleged attempt to topple the Malaysian government, said the line of questioning focussed on his recent statement that he had passed on the contact of The Edge Media Group Chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong to Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

“They asked whether I knew Ho Kay Tat (The Edge Media Group publisher and Group CEO) and Tong, and whether I received any documents from them that came from Justo. To which I said no,” he said.

He said they questioned him again regarding his involvement with Rewcastle-Brown and Justo but reiterated he had met the Sarawak Report founder but had never heard of Justo until his name appeared in media reports regarding 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He added that he told police that he had no knowledge of anything that happened between Rewcastle-Brown, Justo and Tong and stressed that it had nothing to do with him.

“The only information I know is based on what has been published in Sarawak Report and The Edge,” he said.

Pua was previously called in to give his statement on September 4 to aid in the same investigation.

Several days later, local daily New Straits Times ran a front page report claiming that Pua had introduced Rewcastle-Brown – who the newspaper accused of launching a smear campaign against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak – to The Edge Media Group’s senior management.

Pua later admitted that he had done so after it was stated in a Thai court where Justo was on trial for blackmail, but insisted that he had nothing to do with the leaked information or any transactions.

Earlier today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that the police were calling Pua in to provide more information on his meeting with Rewcastle-Brown and that Pua as an MP should have known better than to get involved with stolen documents.

“He had told the press that he admitted to meeting with Claire. So we want to ask what was discussed with her. As a Member of Parliament, he should be aware and understand that the documents were stolen. Why did he get involved?” he said.