Senior lawyer’s fees in Sabah dissolution case not exorbitant, says counsel

KOTA KINABALU: A counsel has clarified that a peninsular-based lawyer who appeared for former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal and the state government over the dispute on the dissolution of the state assembly was not paid exorbitant legal fees as claimed by certain quarters.

“Cyrus Das has issued an invoice for his professional services, which is based on his professional rates and is far below what was alleged,” lawyer Chung Jiun Dau said in a statement.

Chung, who was the solicitor instructing Das, said this in response to viral messages of claims that Das was paid RM3 million to represent Shafie and the state government in the Court of Appeal.

The lawyer said the state government has yet to pay the fees though an invoice had been submitted.

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“It is therefore obvious that the viral message is being spread with mischievous intention and is patently untrue and dishonest,” he added.

State Attorney-General Brenndon Keith Soo represented the Sabah governor while Chung and Das appeared for Shafie and the state government.

Yesterday, a representative of the ousted Warisan-led government also denied allegations that Das was paid RM3 million while Soh received a monthly salary of RM60,000.

Describing the claim as outlandish, Warisan vice-president Jaujan Sambakong urged the public to be more discerning and not be misled by bloggers friendly to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).