M'sia's Attorney-General confirms closing sex video case due to inconclusive identification

KUALA LUMPUR — Prosecutors are not pursuing charges over the sex videos allegedly involving a minister as both local and foreign forensic investigators could not positively identify the two men involved, Tan Sri Tommy Thomas said on Thursday (Jan 9).

The attorney general (AG) said video forensics investigators in the US fared no better than Cyber Security Malaysia, which previously told the police that it could not conclusively establish the identities of those shown in the video.

Mr Thomas said the US investigators also said the poor resolution and quality of the videos as well as the “relatively few number of video frames in which the suspect is clearly visible” prevented them from using facial analysis to identify those shown.

“In these circumstances and upon reviewing evidence as presently gathered and submitted by PDRM to this Chambers, my deputy public prosecutors unanimously recommended to me that no charges be proffered in connection with the videos.

“I have accepted their recommendation and have decided not to prosecute any person. Consistent with our normal practice, investigations may be reopened if and when new evidence becomes available,” Mr Thomas said in a statement.

The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and the police have been under pressure to provide public updates on the case after the deputy inspector-general of police said the US forensics analysis would be ready by the end of last year.

In June 2019, former Santubong Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz accused economic affairs minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali of involvement in the video.

Mr Haziq and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak were arrested and questioned over the matter.

Mr Azmin has denied involvement in the sex videos and previously threatened to sue Mr Haziq.

Separately, United Malays National Organisation (Umno) supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam had the clips independently analysed and claimed that positive identification was possible.

He was later arrested after he accused the inspector-general of police of covering up the investigation. MALAY MAIL