KUALA LUMPUR – Investigations into former lawmaker Tony Pua for sedition will take about a week more, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said today.
“Give us seven more days to complete investigations, before we send the papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he said at a press conference here, today.
DAP’s Pua, a former Damansara MP, is being investigated for sedition after making remarks about the Pardons Board’s decision to reduce the prison sentence and fine for convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Pua had been a strong critic of Najib and state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), which Najib oversaw when he was finance minister.
On Monday, Pua was questioned for more than an hour at Bukit Aman over Facebook posts he had made, which prompted police reports against him for alleged sedition as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the power to grant pardons.
Pua has denied any seditious intent in his posts, which were one-liners laced with sarcasm: “Trust me. It’s not a scam”, “oh wow, after all these years, NAJIB/UMNO cybertrooper still love me”, “I beg your pardon?”, “can someone send me to jail for 1 year and in exchange, pay me RM50 mil?”, “Pretty please?”, and “King Klep pardoned!!”
Pua said he believed Umno members had initiated police action against him, as the party’s youth wing had urged its members to lodge reports against him nationwide.
The Pardons Board last week announced a reduction of Najib’s prison sentence from 12 years to six, and his RM210 million fine was slashed to RM50 million.
His conviction and original penalties were imposed by the high court in July 2020 for corruption involving RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
Najib began serving his sentence on August 23, 2022 when he lost his final appeal at the Federal Court.
Under his reduced sentence, Najib will be released on August 23, 2028 if he pays the RM50 million fine, but will remain incarcerated for a year longer, until August 23, 2029, if he fails to do so. However, he is also eligible to apply for parole next year, after serving half of his reduced sentence. – February 7, 2024