Asked for an update on the case today, he told FMT that “it’s still under further investigation”.
Earlier this month, Idrus said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had instructed the police to collect more evidence after going through their investigation papers on the case.
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 has also contacted Sepang district police chief Wan Kamarul Azran Wan Yusof for comments on the progress of the investigation.
Meanwhile, lawyer Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar al-Mahdzar said police were busy investigating many cases but the complaint by the judiciary should be given priority.
“Why is this case taking a long time to investigate when it is alleged that a prominent lawyer was in a position to compromise the judiciary?” he asked.
The lawyer said Tengku Maimun had worked hard to bring back credibility to the judiciary following her appointment as the top judge in May 2019.
“This is a matter of grave public interest, especially when a senior lawyer is implicated,” he said.
Syed Iskandar said the AGC could decide whether to prosecute or exonerate any party only after police had recorded statements and collected relevant evidence.
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 also seized the legal director’s mobile phone and a laptop.
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 had said the investigation was conducted under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for improper use of network facilities, as well as under the Penal Code’s Section 500 for alleged criminal defamation and Section 504 for intentional insult to provoke breach of peace.
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 sullied the judiciary’s image.