“We have submitted the papers to the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam for their perusal,” he told FMT.

Wan Kamarul said he was awaiting a directive if further investigations needed to be carried out.

“If it is okay, Selangor police will send the papers to Bukit Aman before referring to the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he said.

Police are understood to have recorded statements from eight witnesses, including three lawyers and a former legal director with the Malaysian office of a foreign company.

Investigators have also seized the legal director’s mobile phone and a laptop.

On June 7, an unidentified officer to Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat lodged a police report over text messages that could potentially bring the judiciary into disrepute.

FMT understands that the police report disclosed that among the text messages was one to a foreign client stating “the path is covered till the CJ”.

It is learnt that the messages were in connection with two civil appeals pending before the Court of Appeal.

Wan Kamarul said the investigation was conducted under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for improper use of network facilities.

Those found guilty could be fined up to RM50,000 or sentenced to a maximum one-year jail term or both.

He said the investigation was also being conducted under Section 500 of the Penal Code for alleged criminal defamation and under Section 504 of the same law for intentional insult to provoke breach of peace.

Sections 500 and 504 impose a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both.

On June 20, two prominent lawyers, Lim Chee Wee and Rosli Dahlan, lodged police reports denying any knowledge of the text messages that mentioned their names and spoke of matters that allegedly sully the judiciary’s image.