In response to the allegation of duress by Rahimi Osman

Press Statement

In response to the allegation of duress by Rahimi Osman

7 October 2010

I wish to strongly state that at no point in time had I ever used any form of duress or undue influence on Rahimi Osman in relation to the statutory declarations that he signed.

At all the material times, I was among several lawyers assigned to prepare witness statements from several potential witnesses, which is a norm in any legal defense. In my several meetings with Rahimi, I was accompanied by another lawyer, Radzlan Jalaluddin to interview him at the party headquarters at Tropicana. We prepared statutory declarations for some of the witnesses including Rahimi which is normal practice and for the protection of the witness as well.


These statutory declarations were prepared because in certain cases (as in the present case), there were possibilities that witnesses for whatever reasons may decide to change their testimonies and therefore these statutory declarations can be used as a form of defence against such potential turn around. For example, in the previous cases against DSAI, a few persons connected to DSAI were wrongfully taken away by the police and were subjected to various forms of torture and abuse, and eventually they were made to “confess” and testified against DSAI. See the cases of Sukma Darmawan, Dr Munawar Anees and Meor. In such cases, these statutory declarations can further be used as a form of protection for the witnesses themselves in the event of such wrongful incidents.

Rahimi’s allegation that the statutory declarations were amended to include the names of Dato Seri Najib Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor without his consent is completely untrue and without any credibility at all. This is because in his own statement given to the police at IPK on 23.7.2008 in the afternoon, he has confirmed that he knew that Saiful had met Najib and Rosmah. He also told the police that he himself was taken by Mumtaz Jaafar, a close friend of Rosmah to meet her and also Najib. Rahimi shared this information with us after his interview with the police. He also told the police about his meeting with Ezam Md Noor and SAC Rodwan.

Further these individuals’ involvements in the case were confirmed by Saiful Bukhari’s testimony in court. Ezam Md Noor and Mumtaz Jaafar were called in for identification by Saiful. Najib has also admitted to the press that he has met Saiful when he came to his house.

The allegation that we confined him in Quality Hotel is ludicrous and totally untrue. He was there on his own free will at all times and volunteering information to assist us with DSAI’s case.

These statutory declarations that he voluntarily signed were just part of the several meetings with him over the course of some months as he was also called to clarify or assist on factual matters within his knowledge during the pre trial preparations.

At all the material times, he had voluntarily cooperated and met up with the lawyers whenever he was asked to assist. Even though he was no longer officially employed at the office of DSAI, he has however continued to come over to the party headquarters for various reasons and he has further followed the party’s campaign trail in the by-elections.

I strongly reiterate that at all times, our conduct as lawyers were entirely professional and Rahimi was not subjected to any form of undue influence or duress as claimed. I find it absurd that all of a sudden, after more than two and half years, and further despite the fact that these statutory declarations were never even used in court and therefore a non issue, it is now being alleged that they have been made involuntarily.

These accusations are manifestly slanderous and malicious and a form of harassment against the party and DSAI’s lawyers. I will be consulting with my lawyers and reserve all rights to initiate legal proceedings against Rahimi.

Latheefa Koya

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Kenyataan Media

Membalas dakwaan paksaan oleh Rahimi Osman

7 October 2010

Saya sekeras-kerasnya ingin menyatakan bahawa saya pada bila-bila masa pun, tidak pernah menggunakan sebarang bentuk paksaan atau pengaruh yang tidak sepatutnya ke atas Rahimi Osman, dalam hubungannya terhadap akuan bersumpah yang ditandatanganinya.

Pada waktu-waktu yang tersebut, saya merupakan salah seorang peguam yang ditugaskan untuk menyediakan keterangan saksi dari beberapa orang saksi-saksi berpotensi, suatu amalan yang menjadi lumrah dalam mana-mana pembelaan perundangan. Dalam beberapa pertemuan saya dengan Rahimi, saya ditemani oleh seorang lagi peguam, Radzlan Jalaluddin bagi mengambil kenyataannya di ibupejabat parti di Tropicana. Kami menyediakan akuan bersumpah beberapa orang saksi termasuklah Rahimi yang menjadi amalan biasa pembelaan serta untuk kegunaan perlindungan saksi juga.

Akuan bersumpah ini disediakan kerana dalam kes-kes tertentu (seperti kes sekarang ini), terdapat kemungkinan para saksi atas apa jua sebab menukar keterangan mereka dan akuan bersumpah ini boleh digunakan sebagai hujah pembelaan terhadap kebarangkalian penukaran kenyataan saksi. Misalnya, dalam kes-kes terdahulu terhadap DSAI, beberapa orang yang terkait dengan DSAI di tahan secara tidak sah oleh pihak polis dan dikenakan deraan serta siksaan, maka akhirnya mereka membuat “pengakuan” dan memberi keterangan terhadap DSAI. Lihatlah kes Sukma Darmawan, Dr Munawar Anees dan Meor. Dalam kes-kes sebegini, akuan bersumpah ini boleh juga digunakan sebagai suatu bentuk perlindungan untuk saksi sekiranya berlaku kejadian yang menyalahi undang-undang itu.

Tuduhan Rahimi bahawa akuan bersumpahnya dipinda untuk memasukkan nama Dato Seri Najib Razak dan Datin Rosmah Mansor tanpa persetujuan dirinya merupakan suatu kenyataan yang tidak benar serta tidak berkredibiliti sama sekali. Ini kerana dalam kenyataannya sendiri kepada pihak polis di IPK pada tengahari 23.7.2008, dia mengesahkan bahawa dia tahu Saiful telah bertemu Najib dan Rosmah. Dia juga memberitahu polis, bahawa dirinya sendiri diambil oleh Mumtaz Jaafar, rakan karib Rosmah, bagi bertemu Rosmah dan Najib. Rahimi berkongsi maklumat ini dengan kami selepas diambil keterangan oleh pihak polis. Dia juga memberitahu polis tentang pertemuan Ezam Md Noor dan SAC Rodwan.

Selanjutnya penglibatan orang-orang tersebut dalam kes ini telah disahkan oleh keterangan Saiful Bukhari di mahkamah. Ezam Md Noor dan Mumtaz Jaafar telah dipanggil untuk pengecaman oleh Saiful. Najib juga telah mengakui kepada pihak media bahawa dia pernah bertemu Saiful saat dia datang ke rumahnya.

Dakwaan bahawa kami mengurungnya di Hotel Quality adalah sangat tidak benar dan amat mustahil sama sekali. Dia berada di sana atas kerelaan dirinya sendiri pada setiap masa dan secara sukarelanya memberi kami maklumat bagi membantu kes DSAI.

Akuan bersumpah tersebut yang dengan secara sukarela ditandatanganinya merupakan sebahagian daripada hasil pertemuan kami dengannya dalam tempoh masa beberapa bulan, sewaktu persediaan sebelum perbicaraan, yang mana dia dipanggil untuk memperjelas atau membantu dalam hal berkaitan fakta-fakta sepanjang pengetahuannya.

Pada waktu-waktu tersebut, dia secara sukarela bekerjasama dan bertemu dengan para peguam bilamana dia diminta membantu. Meskipun dia sudah tidak lagi secara rasmi bekerja di pejabat DSAI, namun dia terus datang ke ibu pejabat parti atas berbagai tujuan dan kemudiannya dia juga ikut kempen parti dalam pilihanraya kecil.

Saya dengan sekeras-kerasnya ingin menegaskan bahawa pada setiap masa, perlakuan kami sebagai peguam adalah profesional dan Rahimi tidak pernah dipaksa atau ditekan dengan cara yang tidak sepatutnya seperti yang didakwa dirinya. Saya merasa amat hairan, secara tiba-tiba, setelah lebih dua tahun setengah, pada ketika ini baru dia mahu mendakwa ia dibuat secara terpaksa. Akuan bersumpah tersebut juga tidak pernah digunakan di mahkamah dan sepatutnya tidak harus dibuat isu (a non issue).

Dakwaan Rahimi ini merupakan suatu fitnah dan berniat jahat serta merupakan gangguan terhadap parti dan para peguam DSAI. Saya sedang berunding dengan para peguam saya dan akan memelihara hak saya untuk mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap Rahimi.