Shafee: No plot against AG Gani Patail

Senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has denied a plot was made against Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail at an alleged high-level meeting at Dr Mahathir Mohamad's residence three months ago.

Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim had made this allegation recently in a statutory declaration (SD).

Shafee said there was no reason for that and Mahathir was never involved in any way.
“Irrespective of what is contained in the SD, there is no such thing as a plot or conspiracy against the AG.

"There is no reason to do that, either on the issue of the black-eye incident or the issue of the Pulau Batu Puteh case," the senior lawyer said.
Furthermore, the senior lawyer said there was no purpose to discuss the Pulau Batu Puteh matter with Mat Zain, as he was only a former police officer and not an international lawyer.

“Why should anybody be discussing with him on that regarding the issue,” he said.

However, Shafee confirmed his presence at former prime minister Mahathir's residence on Aug 10, three days after Hari Raya.

He did not want to confirm the presence of others, he said, until he had read former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim's statutory declaration, saying it would be unfair to the former police officer to do so.

This was also to be fair to Mahathir.
"Tun (Mahathir) is certainly not involved in all this rubbish. It was I who wanted to pay my respects to Tun. There were others who wanted to do the same," Shafee said.
The senior lawyer had just returned to the country after seeking treatment overseas. He was met on the sidelines of Anwar Ibrahim's appeal to bar him from acting for the prosecution in his Sodomy II trial.

Contextually, Shafee alleged what he read in Malaysiakini's report is totally wrong.

“But how wrong it is, I want to be fair with Mat Zain - I want to talk to him, as I just got back from medical leave overseas.”

He added that he would hold a press conference, possibly tomorrow, after he gets a full copy of Mat Zain's statutory declaration.
'No-holds-barred press conference'

Shafee said for some strange reason, the maker of the SD as well as the people who have the SD are not making it available to him.

“I cannot tell you with precision as I have not seen the SD. I do not want to be guessing. What Malaysiakini prints or The Malaysian Insider prints maybe a misquotation of the SD, and I want to rebut.”

“If I receive the SD today, I will call for a press conference tomorrow... to make certain corrections, to certain things - if they are true - as stated in the press.

“I do not know if (the report) is accurately reflective of the SD. That is why I want to see the SD, to be fair to him,” Shafee said, adding that he would answer everything. He promised a “no holds barred” press conference where he will answer as much he can.

Asked what had transpired at the meeting, Shafee also suggested that the media was not being fair in seeking his comments without giving him a copy of the SD.

“I do not want to comment now because I do not know what Mat Zain said. If some of you have the SD but you were told not to give it to me... shouldn't freedom of information be for everybody?

“Mat Zain cited names, shouldn’t a copy be given to Tun, a copy to me, or (former Commercial Crime Investigation Department director) Ramli Yusuff and also (Mahathir’s former political secretary) Matthias (Chang),” he asked.

How is he to answer or verify what is correct and what is wrong without looking at the SD, Shafee asked.

Mat Zain had said he made his SD detailing what had transpired during the meeting at Shafee’s house and then at Mahathir’s house.