Lawyers under sedition probe over call for AG’s resignation

PETALING JAYA: Police have opened a sedition investigation on lawyers who submitted a motion to discuss Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali's position as attorney general for refusing to prosecute Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak over the deposits in his personal bank account.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed to theSun that a sedition investigation has been opened on the Malaysian Bar's motion.
"Yes, I can confirm on the investigation," Khalid told theSun.
Earlier, it was reported that lawyer Shanmugam Ramasamy, who was one of the three who had proposed the motion that was later approved at the Malaysian Bar's Annual General Meeting (AGM), said he received a notice from Bukit Aman requesting his presence at the police headquarters at 2.30pm on Thursday to record his statement.
Shanmugam added that his colleague, Francis Pereira, who was another proposer of the motion, also received the same letter.
The motion, after being debated at the Malaysian Bar's AGM, resulted in a resolution calling for Apandi's resignation.
The letter dated March 28, said the Criminal Investigation Unit Class D5, Criminal Investigation Department, Bukit Aman police headquarters, is investigating a complaint relating to Sri Muda Rpt: 6739/16 under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act.
Meanwhile, Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen described the police investigation as "shocking" and an intrusion into the Malaysian Bar's independence.
"This is shocking and unacceptable. The integrity and independence of the Bar is under assault," he said in a tweet.