Police have recorded the statement of the lawyer Americk Sidhu today for alleged defamatory remarks that were made against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak during Suaram’s fundraising dinner last month.

Americk said the police had asked him about the contents of his speech, specifically whether he had made any insinuations against Najib.

He added that the police were acting on a police report lodged by the NGO Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah on July 31, alleging that statements “defamatory to the prime minister” were made during the July 17 function.

However, he said he believes what he said was during the function was neither defamatory nor seditious.

“The questioning was superficial, if they are looking at a charge under the Sedition Act, I was expecting far more detailed questions about the speech I made.

NONE“They didn’t seem concerned about the details,” said Americk when met by Malaysiakini at his office just after police had recorded his statement.

The two police officers, Insp Tan and Insp Ranjit Singh from the Petaling Jaya Criminal Investigation Department (CID), questioned Americk for around 90 minutes at his Kuala Lumpur office.

“In the speech I made no accusations, I only presented the facts that were already in the public domain.  I have no idea where they are going to go from here, I can’t see how anything said in any of the speeches (at the dinner) was seditious,” he said.

Americk was the lawyer for the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam when he made his first statutory declaration (SD) allegedly implicating Najib in the cover-up of the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Americk’s questioning comes after Suaram secretariat member Cynthia Gabriel was questioned last Wednesday. The NGO was earlier told they were being investigated under the Sedition Act for organising the dinner.

The event had been organised to raise funds for Suaram’s judicial inquiry in France on alleged kickbacks in the purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines by the Malaysian government in 2002. Altantuya had supposedly served as a translator in the deal.

Americk said that he was questioned under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which is related to examination of witnesses by police.

He also questioned why the police had managed to act so quickly on Azwanddin’s police report when nothing had been done in regards to a report he lodged regarding Balasubramaniam’s second statutory declaration five years ago.

“I lodged that report around July 2008. No action has been taken, so I was surprised that somebody lodges a report in July this year and they are already investigating,” Americk said.

Americk also said the police told him they intend to question Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar on Friday, who was also among the speakers at the fundraising dinner.