KUALA LUMPUR: The two lawyers whose names were linked to the recent riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Seafield, Subang Jaya, today said they were only roped in by the developer to assist in police investigations after the fracas broke out.
Speaking at a press conference here today, lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla and Rafique Rashid Ali said they were only approached by representatives of One City Development late Monday evening.
“Our roles are to foresee the process of investigation for the staff and company, and see to their best interests,” Haniff said.
He said the two senior One City employees whom he represented were supposed to have their statements recorded on Tuesday afternoon. However, they were arrested by the police early that morning.
“This prompted me to attend the remand hearing with my colleague, Rafique, on Tuesday,” he said, adding that Rafique was acting for another employee who had been arrested.
Haniff also denied claims on social media that he and Rafique had paid 50 “thugs” in an attempt to evict temple devotees, or that he had represented them in the police investigation.
“These are false accusations against both of us,” he said, adding that they intended to lodge reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to uncover who had spread the information against them.
He said they would file a separate report with the police for criminal defamation.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin had announced that two lawyers were arrested for their alleged role in masterminding the attack, only one of the three employees of One City Development helping police investigations holds a law degree, but was no longer a practising lawyer.
The suspected allegedly paid RM150,000 but each man only received around RM150 to RM300.
One City Development Sdn Bhd, which owns the land on which the temple sits on, had denied hiring or authorising the use of thugs.
