BN, which is known to leave its communication strategies to public relation firms and international consultants, broke from convention as it despatched a minister to roll up his sleeves and do an opposition-styled expose.
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan ( photo ), who for the first time introduced himself as BN strategic communications director, accused whistleblower site Sarawak Report of fabricating its damaging reports about 1MDB and the prime minister's family.
He based this on a police report lodged by one Ramesh Rao Krishnan Naidu, who also handed a video and an email to the police to back the allegation against Rewcastle.
The video featured Lester Melanyi, who claimed to be a writer for Sarawak Report , confessing that he had fabricated information on the whistle blower site.
The email in which Rewcastle purportedly admitted to fabricating information was also provided to Ramesh by Lester.
While Abdul Rahman is already a well known figure, Ramesh and Lester who were responsible for the crux of the allegation are obscure figures.
Malaysiakini has compiled their profile here from the public domain to shed light on who they are.
Ramesh Rao Krishnan Naidu
Ramesh Rao ( photo ), 43, leads an obscure NGO named Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin (PMSP).
Based on the NGO's media invitation track record, it has a penchant of making police reports and submitting memorandums, with a particular interest in the opposition.
On Jan 6, 2015, PMSP called for a royal commission of inquiry into logging in Kelantan, claiming that PAS leaders had accumulated extraordinary wealth overseas.
On March 17, PMSP accused DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok of being responsible for the death of a DAP member.
On April 8, PMSP claimed it possessed evidence that DAP's struggle was similar to the Islamic State.
On May 22, PMSP took to the DAP headquarters to submit a memorandum asking DAP not to abolish bumiputera special privileges and the Malay rulers.
On May 26, PMSP lodged a police report against PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli over the collection of donation for the watchdog NGO National Oversight and Whistleblowers.
On June 17, it submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Department thanking the prime minister for helping Chinese businesses, which it said disapproved opposition claims that Chinese were neglected.
In February 2014, there were efforts to lobby Ramesh Rao to become a senator and replace P Waythamoorthy as a deputy minister but it did not materialise.
Lester Leef Albert Melanyi
Lester Melanyi, 49 was an editor at Sarawak Tribune but was forced to resign in 2006 after he allowed the publication of a caricature of Prophet Mohamed.
As a result, the newspaper, established since 1945, was also suspended indefinitely.
Lester ( photo ) claimed that he had written for Sarawak Report and was asked to used fabricated information.
However, Rewcastle claimed that Lester had never worked for the whistleblower site and was hired for a few months in 2011 with Radio Free Sarawak , which has an Iban language broadcast.
Rewcastle had accused Lester of being bought over.
In an interview with The Star , Lester said his confession video was made by Ramesh and he also received RM1,000 to RM2,000 to cover his expenses to Kuala Lumpur.
But he shot down claims he was bought over and stood by his confession.
In the confession video, the father of two said he suffered a stroke three months ago and therefore was slurring as he spoke.
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