YOURSAY | ‘This Riza deal is just buttering us up for Najib to get the same deal.’
'This is a lie' - Ex-AG insists never agreed to settlement with Riza Aziz
Vijay47: To cut to the jugular, Tommy Thomas, former attorney-general, a Tan Sri, has described the MACC statement that he had agreed to a settlement of the case against Riza Aziz as a lie.
And when the MACC head Azam Baki further stated that he stood by his deputy public prosecutor (DPP) source of information, it can be inferred that Thomas is calling Azam a liar.
We can now expect the MACC chief to repair this affront by instituting legal proceedings against Thomas for defamation of character. Or would he?
Weighing the chronological history of events prior to Thomas’ departure and in particular the complaint by Riza’s own counsel, there are essentially only two issues in this shocking case.
The first is the identity of the person who authorised the withdrawal of the charges and second, the terms under which the settlement was achieved.
Examining the second point first, it appears that by payment of about US$107 million, Riza would not face further action in respect of the US$248 million, which is the subject of the claims against him.
Even the least mind would conclude that such generous conditions would mean that for certain individuals, crime apparently indeed pays. This would hardly be shocking since Malaysians already suffer the perception that some can get away with murder even in its literal sense.
What is truly outrageous is that where a person has supposedly come to possess RM1 billion through dubious means, he is still allowed to retain RM500 million, a most profitable undertaking.
Along the sidelines, people may also wonder why, if someone had taken home properly earned income, he would not want to surrender even a sen of it to the government.
This brings us to the first point. Considering the noxious elements in the case, there is a high stink of shame and condemnation against whoever was behind the convenient arrangement; this could also be an impediment to the many other instances where similar settlement is eagerly awaited.
Thus, what better solution than to set a false trail and lay blame on an innocent passer-by. Tommy Thomas fits the role to a T, and he can always be accused of not sharing the national vision of race, religion, and ruler.
He might even be a closet DAP supporter.
FairPlay: This is Vijay47 best analysis’s so far. Well done. MACC has a lot to answer. Why did it have to lay blame on Thomas?
That should have been left to AG Idrus Harun and special DPP Gopal Sri Ram.
Newday: This reminds me of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak stating that he returned most of the US$680 million of the ‘Arab’ donation.
His version of ‘most’ was US$620 million. It still beggars the question - what happened to the balance - a measly US$60 million, roughly RM240 million. That is not peanuts!
Lies and deceit drive them all, including the current MACC head and the law minister. This Riza deal is just buttering us up for Najib to get the same deal.
The Wakandan: Why they stoop so low to lie about this (that the settlement decision was made by Thomas) is mind-boggling.
Not only it was a cheap shot at denying accountability but the lie is so delinquent in nature that only people with the brain of a child will do this.
Thomas is still alive. Don't they know that he can always make a statement to rebut the false statement? It is not like he is incapacitated, unable to respond to untruth made in his name.
Rupert16: "To compound matters, after I corrected MACC’s false statement on the evening of May 14, MACC responded by stating that they stood by their first statement.”
Based on what Thomas said above, can we ever trust MACC under the leadership of Azam? The answer is obvious, isn’t it?
Myviews: Mr Law Minister (Takiyuddin Hassan), please explain your reasons why you think returning half the loot is appropriate instead of shooting your mouth and calling others hypocrite.
Everything a person does must have a reason. Simply calling others names is not only inappropriate, it only goes to show your lack of education and incapability of reasoning.
Kim Quek: MACC chief Azam’s dubious conduct does not auger well for the integrity of MACC under the current backdoor government.
As for law minister Takiyuddin’s illogical ridicule of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, it only exposes him as an empty barrel void of any substance.
What a tragic reflection on this backdoor government at the infant stage of its illegitimate rule. For how long must the people tolerate this wretched administration?
Caripasal: Do not expect government servants to follow the rule of law if the leader is corrupt.
The subordinate, often willingly, make the decision favouring the leaders, with or without direct instruction from those leaders, either out of fear of retaliation or hope for "favour returning" by the leader in the form of promotion, appointment or monetary reward.
To them, dignity and conscience do not exist, no matter how many times they pray every day. They choose to play the game of the corrupt.
This problem started by BN, and will continue by Perikatan Nasional (PN), as they share common genes. This lie will not be the last. Expect the return of the law of the jungle.
Lionking: The penalties and jail terms only apply to the rakyat and not the political elites.
So if the single mother was jailed for eight days and fined RM1,000 and the elite was given RM800 fine, what does this say?
It is implied the laws are here to protect the elites and so do the top officers of any government agencies.
Anonymous_5609e49b: The same institutions under different governments are showing such contrasting values.
This means the institutions in this country are rotten to the core and they have no integrity nor value of their own. All their actions are to please the master of the day. Just like my pet dog.
Cynical: All is not lost. Since Riza was discharged not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), the AG can recharge him.
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