Harris dares counsel to probe bank accounts
Published on: Thursday, August 25, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh (pic) Wednesday dared the leading counsel for the defence in a libel suit to investigate his (Harris) accounts at local and international banks for any ill-gotten money. He said he was prepared to give away 100pc if there were any but that it must be reciprocal. "We should be allowed to check all the accounts of the defendants," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Responding to a question by defence counsel Raymond Szetu, Harris said it was not true that he became rich or amassed wealth only after entering politics. Szetu aimed to discredit and pin Harris on alleged past corruption episodes as suggested by Dr Shaari Isa in the book "Vendetta and Abuse of Power – Quest for Justice in The Land Below The Wind – Political Vindictiveness and Personal Vilification against Syed Kechik in Sabah". Dr Shaari is first Defendant, Syed Salem Albukhary (2nd Defendant) is a brother of the late Tan Sri Syed Kechik bin Syed Mohamed, while printer, publisher and distributor MPH Group of companies the 3rd to 5th defendants. Harris is claiming damages and a ban on the book.ADVERTISEMENT Harris, in response to a query on his parentage, declared that he was proud to be of Indian descent. His counsel Yunof Maringking objected to the questioning and High Court Judge R. Paramaguru stopped Harris from answering whether his father was from Kerala, India, and whether his mother was a Malay from Singapore.
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Szeto said he wanted to prove that Harris, unless he has a Native Certificate, was like Syed Kechik (from Kelantan), an outsider. However Justice Paramaguru wanted Szeto to limit his questions to the pertinent defamation trial issues. Yunof constantly objected to the line of questioning Szetu, who in turn said he felt constrained in his cross-examination efforts which was made worse by the air-conditioning not working well. Szeto: "…after becoming Chief Minister you became a very rich man and enjoyed the privileges and show of pomp of wealth. This include an expensive lifestyle of driving around in E-type Jaguar, a Ferrari, owning a fleet of other costly cars, a palatial home in Labuan and likewise in Likas, and a Tudor-style mansion in Maidenhead near Oxford, England, with a fleet of cars in the garage…bought properties and homes in San Francisco, California in the United States of America."Harris: "No, not crooked (way)." Harris explained that Donald Stephens or Tun Mohd Fuad gave timber licences to all his cabinet ministers for funding their political activities. "I live an ordinary lifestyle, unlike the guy and his friends from Penang partying in Paris." (apparently referring to 1MDB scandal adviser Jho Low and celebrity Paris Hilton). Harris said that in two years, he made US32 million in oil trading overseas. "All the wealth I can account for." He said that overseas business proceeds were not repatriated back to Malaysia but invested overseas. Harris also said although his Parti Berjaya manifesto called for the deportation of Syed Kechik back to West Malaysia if the party won power, it was not because he harboured hatred, rivalry or jealousy for Syed Kechik but it was a party decision which was supported by a strong mandate by the people when it voted Berjaya into power. He agreed with Szetu that the true history of Sabah politics must be made known for public interest. Szetu had wanted Harris to prove his Manifesto claim, just as Harris insisted that Szetu produce proof of his "gossips" claims based on books like "Harris Salleh of Sabah" by Paul Raffaele and "The History of Berjaya" by RM Jasni, Chacho Hj. Bulah and Jasni Matlani.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Harris wanted the writers to be called to testify in court on their disputed content, including Tan Sri Herman Luping. He disputed Szetu's assertion that "Harris Salleh of Sabah" was an authorised biography written with Harris' collaboration and knowledge, as the author was privy to a lot of private information on Harris.