Saravanan calls graft charges ‘wild accusations’, says facts will emerge in court

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Former human resources minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan dismissed the corruption charges against him as "wild accusations", stating he was shocked by the three charges and had no personal connection to the individuals named in them. Addressing reporters after pleading not guilty to all three charges at the Sessions Court, Saravanan indicated that the facts would be presented before the court.

He also hinted that the charges might be politically motivated. "I was surprised with the charges. I won't say they are baseless; I will say they are wild accusations. The facts will be brought in court," Saravanan asserted. He further emphasized that he had no relationship with the people mentioned in the court filings, except for Syed Amirul, with whom he was not personally acquainted.

"The important thing is, I have no relation with the people mentioned in court earlier. I don't know them. Except for Syed Amirul, the rest I don't know, and even then, I don't have a personal relationship with Syed Amirul. These will be discussed further in court," he said. Saravanan further warned that if the charges were meant to bring him down, the opposition should field their strongest candidate in Tapah instead of resorting to such tactics.

"If this is your method of trying to bring me down, then send your best candidate to contest me in Tapah. Don't use these sorts of tactics to bring down a politician," he concluded, without directly naming anyone but seeming to imply specific individuals.