Ex-AG against ex-AG as Apandi urges police probe on Thomas

Former attorney-general during the Barisan Nasional era Mohamed Apandi Ali has lodged a police report over claims made by his successor Tommy Thomas in the latter’s recently published autobiography.

Apandi, the AG who announced that no charges would be moved against former prime minister Najib Razak at the height of revelations on the 1MDB scandal, also said that Thomas had breached the Official Secrets Act by divulging confidential details in his book “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”.

“I have studied the book’s contents and I have found that the book in general contains baseless accusations,” Apandi said in his report filed at the Sentul police station today.

Thomas in his book suggested that Apandi was not qualified when he was promoted to the bench, saying he was also appointed by Najib to the AG’s post in order to clear the leader of wrongdoing.

“Najib appointed Appandi Ali [sic] as the new attorney-general, with a single remit. Appandi was to clear Najib of all wrongdoings associated with 1MDB. His only client was the prime minister; the new attorney-general did not have to concern himself with acting for the federal government or the Cabinet,” Thomas wrote.

He said Apandi had “moved effortlessly to the bench, where he advanced, again effortlessly, to the Federal Court”.

Apandi’s police report is the latest in a series lodged against Thomas over several remarks made in his book, giving his version of what transpired behind the scenes under the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government.

Several other reports were also lodged including by former solicitor-general Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria, over comments by Thomas suggesting he was not qualified to lead the prosecution team in Najib’s SRC International trial.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir Mohamad also rubbished Thomas’ view that the former prime minister’s resignation in February last year did not mean the collapse of the PH government.

Thomas had claimed that Mahathir blocked his then-deputy Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail from being named as interim prime minister following his resignation.

“Tommy knew nothing about my resignation. According to Tommy, I told him that the Agong had wanted to appoint Wan Azizah as interim prime minister. This is nonsense,” Mahathir wrote in his blog.