Auditor-General to testify at Rafizi’s OSA trial
The Pandan MP faces two charges for allegedly possessing and leaking classified documents on 1MDB.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Auditor-General (AG) will be testifying against Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli who has been charged with possessing and leaking government secrets.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Shukor Abu Bakar confirmed this when asked if Auditor-General Ambrin Buang would be one of the prosecution’s witnesses. “He was supposed to testify on Wednesday but the trial date was vacated,” he disclosed.
“He will come on one of the next trial dates between July 25 and 27.”
Rafizi faces two charges for allegedly possessing and leaking classified documents.
He was charged under sections 8(1)(c) and 8(1)(e)(iii) of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for having in his possession and exposing page 98 of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Audit Report, a classified document, at a press conference.
He was said to have committed the act at Parliament building between March 24 and 28 in the late afternoon. If convicted, Rafizi will face up to seven years in jail.
Earlier, the Court heard from Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officer Mohd Zamiri Sanin that Rafizi was the owner of the blog which allegedly uploaded one page of the classified Audit Report.
“I received an application by the investigating officer (Rajagopal) to analyse Rafizi’s website (rafiziramli.com),” he said during cross examination by deputy public prosecutor Zhafran Rahim Hamzah. “I conducted a search of the website by typing his name and found his blog.”
“There was information about him on the website.”
Zamiri also found a Facebook page with Rafizi’s name, with postings on links from the blog.
He also did another search and found Rafizi’s other Facebook account, with a phone number.
“I took the number and checked the telco companies, and from there I obtained the IC (identity card) number,” he said.
He checked with the National Registration Department (NRD) and found Rafizi’s address as well as the phone number he had earlier seen on the other Facebook page.
Zamiri, in concluding his searches, confirmed rafiziramli.com blog was Rafizi’s. “I surrendered the report to my superior who approved it,” he said. “I then handed it to Rajagopal.”
During cross examination by lawyer Ahmad Nizar Hamid, representing Rafizi, Zamiri agreed that although he did checks on the website, he did not have access to the blog in terms of posting.
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The trial will resume on July 25 before Sessions Court judge Zulqarnian Hassan.