Najib instructed Cecil on SD2, Bar AGM told

Senior lawyer Cecil Abraham has allegedly admitted acting on Najib Abdul Razak's instructions to prepare the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam’s controversial second statutory declaration (SD).

Bala's lawyer Americk Sidhu revealed this during the Malaysian Bar annual general meeting (AGM) today in Kuala Lumpur.

The AGM was debating a motion on setting up an independent committee to investigate who had drafted the second SD.

"Cecil met me and admitted to drafting the second SD without Bala's instructions. The instructions came from Najib," he had said at the closed door meeting.

The revelation has set cyberspace abuzz, with some lawyers tweeting the matter and reporting that Americk (right) had received a standing ovation for this revelation.

Several lawyers when met outside the AGM venue told Malaysiakini they can corroborate Americk’s claim, saying the latter met Abraham two weeks ago.

At press time the AGM was still debating the motion, one of six motions tabled for the AGM.

Abraham however refused to comment on the matter when asked by Malaysiakini in January.

'Najib must respond'

In an immediate response, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo called on Prime Minister Najib, who was deputy prime minister at the time the two SDs were issued, to answer to Americk’s allegation.

He also slammed the Bar Council for its sluggish actions.

“The Bar Council should also tell us why there has been a delay in the probe into this complaint.

“The Bar Council is obviously unusually slow in its probe of this matter,” said Gobind in a statement today.

It has been alleged that Bala's second SD, made to retract his first SD that implicated Najib in the case of the murdered Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu, was on the order of higher ups.

A group of lawyers had proposed a motion at the AGM today to call on the Bar to probe the lawyer involved in the preparation of the second SD.

In a dramatic turn of events, Bala passed away yesterday, reportedly from a heart attack.

Lawyers at the AGM today also made donations to Bala's family and the total RM18,500 in collections was passed to Americk to be given to Bala’s widow.

Americk then left for the Cheras Crematorium where Bala’s last rites is being held at 2pm.

Hafiz Yatim