Najib: Report on me offering RM3.5m in Kevin Morais case ‘mischievous’

(MMO) – Datuk Seri Najib Razak has accused state news agency Bernama of running a “mischievous” report naming him as having offered an accused money to admit to murdering Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais.

The former prime minister said the report had used “sensational and tabloidish headline”.

“Those who are not easily trapped by just reading headlines will surely find something amiss after reading the full article,” he said.

“There are seven accused in the murder. Only one of those accused suddenly claimed I offered him RM3.5 million through an unnamed Prisons Department officer to admit guilt in the Morais murder.”

In the report, the seventh accused in the murder case told the High Court here today that he was offered RM3.5 million by Najib to admit guilt.

S. Ravi Chandaran, 47, also told the court that the offer was made through a prisons officer and besides this, he also received an offer from Kevin Morais’ younger brother himself, Datuk Richard Morais, to do the same.

Ravi Chandaran, who is the defence’s sixth witness, said this when cross-examined by counsel Datuk N.Sivananthan, who is representing military pathologist Colonel Dr R. Kunaseegaran, during the proceedings on the 24th day of the defence’s case.

R. Dinishwaran, AK Thinesh Kumar, M. Vishwanath; S. Nimalan, Ravi Chandaran, and Dr Kunaseegaran had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kevin Morais during their journey from Jalan Dutamas 1, Sentul, to No.1 Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015.

They are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.