The DAP supremo was referring to Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who had accused him (Lim) of being confused between a civil and criminal case over the US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) billion-dollar forfeiture lawsuits over 1MDB-linked assets.
“Sabri may be hoping that the world’s biggest kleptocracy and money-laundering 1MDB scandal will end up like his ‘turtle egg’ scandal, that is, lost in a maze of contradictory statements, denials and bureaucratic inertia.
“But can Sabri enlighten Malaysians as to the outcome of his ‘turtle egg’ scandal in Sandakan last August?” the Gelang Patah MP asked in a statement released today.
In August last year, Ismail Sabri was seen seated at a table on which a big plate of what appeared to be turtle eggs could be clearly seen along with another dish although it is clear no one was actually eating at the time the picture was taken.
The event was a Barisan Nasional (BN) gathering judging from a banner bearing the BN logo flanked by images of Ismail Sabri himself, Prime Minister Najib Razak and others seen hanging in the background.
“When Ismail Sabri’s ‘turtle egg’ scandal first broke in November last year, he put the blame squarely on Beluran Umno in Sandakan, as the organiser of the function responsible for serving turtle eggs.
“He denied eating turtle eggs as he had eaten fish at the dinner, claiming that it had been ‘a long time since I’ve eaten turtle eggs’ as it is ‘high in cholesterol’, Lim said referring to quotes allegedly attributed to Ismail Sabri.
“Sabri should tell Malaysians of the outcome of the investigations into the ‘turtle egg’ saga before he creates new confusion over the 1MDB global scandal.”
Lim said there would not have been any doubt in anyone’s mind as to the difference between a civil case and criminal case over the DoJ lawsuits based on the simple English he used in statements and speeches on the DoJ-1MDB issue, following the admission by the BN Strategic Communications Director Abdul Rahman Dahlan that “Malaysian Official 1” in the DoJ lawsuits is none other than the Prime Minister.
“It is Sabri who is very confused, whether deliberately or otherwise, over the DoJ-1MDB controversy,” Lim said.
Lim also questioned as to why the police had not interrogated Rahman for admitting that “MO1” was the prime minister, hence Najib, after having done the same to DAP National Publicity Secretary, Tony Pua.
“Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua was hauled up by the police for investigation for naming Najib as the ‘Malaysian Official 1’ in the DoJ lawsuits, so why not the same for Rahman.
“And if not, why not and the reason for the double standards in upholding law and administering justice in Malaysia? Is the IGP and police also confused between criminal and civil proceedings in the DoJ lawsuits, leading to double standards in the police treatment of Tony Pua and Abdul Rahman Dahlan?”