Painted a ‘crook’, lawyer for Charles Morais mulls suing IGP’
(Malay Mail Online) – Lawyer Americk Sidhu, who represents Charles Suresh Morais, said today he may sue Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for defamation, claiming he had been portrayed as a “crook” in a recent legal case.
Americk said he was considering legal action following the IGP’s remarks published in New Straits Times today, in which Khalid had allegedly cast aspersions to the lawyer’s role in preparing sworn statements.
“In regard to what the IGP said today, it is clearly prima facie for a defamatory suit. I’m consulting with my lawyers on the aspects of how to go about this matter,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Americk, whose client is the younger brother of slain deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais, said Khalid’s reported remarks had portrayed him as a “crook”, adding that his reputation as a lawyer has been affected,
“I’m a practising lawyer here in Malaysia. If the IGP of the country comes out in public and tells the people that I’m a lawyer of bad reputation, how would that affect me?
“That would definitely do a big damage to my reputation as well as my business. People would think I’m a crook, who would want to come to me?,” Americk questioned.
The police chief was reported to have claimed Americk had a bad reputation with preparing statutory declarations (SDs) as his clients have mysteriously disappeared after signing the documents, alluding to Charles Suresh who is said to have left the country last week to return to the US where he is based.
Khalid had previously announced a fresh probe would be launched into the SD signed last week by Charles Suresh.
However, the national police chief also said last Wednesday that Malaysian police would be unable to take action if Charles Suresh did not share information with them.
In his 18-page SD signed on Wednesday, Charles Suresh said that his older brother had sent him a pen drive with contents that “clearly and unequivocally reveal the investigations Kevin had been tasked with just before his untimely death which implicate certain personalities who currently walk the corridors of power in Malaysia”.
Charles claimed the pendrive is currently in the US for safekeeping and also said in the SD that Kevin had informed him prior to his death that he was working on a case involving some powerful individuals.
Kevin’s body was found hidden in a cement-filled oil drum in Subang Jaya 13 days after he was abducted en route to his Putrajaya office from his home on September 4.
At the time of his death, Kevin held the post of deputy head of the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ trial and appellate division.
Charles Suresh had on Monday applied for a court order for a second post-mortem, but the current location of Kevin’s body is unknown after it was reportedly collected by another brother Datuk Richard Morais on the same day without Charles Suresh’s knowledge from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary.
