Separate attorney-general and public prosecutor roles without delay, says Bersih
The Attorney-General’s Chambers established a working committee to study the separation of the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor last year.
PETALING JAYA: Bersih wants the roles of public prosecutor and attorney-general (AG) to be made separate before the next general election (GE15).
The electoral reform group said this was to remove any suspicion of political interference in cases involving politicians.
Referring to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) having established a working committee to study the separation of the two roles last year, Bersih urged the government to complete the study and execute the reform “without delay”.
“The public sentiment on the discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) of Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim due to a request by the deputy public prosecutor on Sept 23 shows the necessity of having the prosecution office independent from the AG, who is a political appointee,” it said in a statement.
“On the same day, the acquittal of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by the High Court of all corruption charges in the foreign visa system (VLN) case has also put the spotlight on the AG and whether he will appeal the court’s decision.
“The public prosecutor, who has a key role to assist the judiciary in the administration of criminal justice, should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen as independent, impartial and beyond political interference.
“This can only be done by separating the public prosecutor’s role from that of the politically appointed AG.”
The Kuala Lumpur sessions court yesterday granted Azeez a DNAA after he submitted representations to withdraw the three corruption charges and six money laundering charges he was facing.
Azeez, the former Tabung Haji chairman, was charged in 2019 with accepting bribes amounting to RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah.
Judge Azura Alwi said the court was satisfied with the prosecution’s request for an order to discharge the politician, adding that the court cannot conclude that the prosecution has no intention to proceed with the trial.
Meanwhile, at the Shah Alam High Court, Zahid was acquitted of 40 charges of receiving bribes from a company to extend its VLN contract when he was the home minister.
Zahid was accused of 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to extend the firm’s contract as the operator of a one-stop centre in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain a contract for the supply of the VLN integrated system.
He was also charged with seven other counts of obtaining for himself S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company in connection with his official duties.
High Court judge Yazid Mustafa ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the Umno president.
In his judgment, Yazid said the prosecution’s case crumbled as its three key witnesses – former UKSB directors Harry Lee, Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani and David Tan – were unreliable and not credible.
PETALING JAYA: Bersih wants the roles of public prosecutor and attorney-general (AG) to be made separate before the next general election (GE15).
The electoral reform group said this was to remove any suspicion of political interference in cases involving politicians.
Referring to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) having established a working committee to study the separation of the two roles last year, Bersih urged the government to complete the study and execute the reform “without delay”.
“The public sentiment on the discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) of Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim due to a request by the deputy public prosecutor on Sept 23 shows the necessity of having the prosecution office independent from the AG, who is a political appointee,” it said in a statement.
“On the same day, the acquittal of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by the High Court of all corruption charges in the foreign visa system (VLN) case has also put the spotlight on the AG and whether he will appeal the court’s decision.
“The public prosecutor, who has a key role to assist the judiciary in the administration of criminal justice, should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen as independent, impartial and beyond political interference.
“This can only be done by separating the public prosecutor’s role from that of the politically appointed AG.”
The Kuala Lumpur sessions court yesterday granted Azeez a DNAA after he submitted representations to withdraw the three corruption charges and six money laundering charges he was facing.
Azeez, the former Tabung Haji chairman, was charged in 2019 with accepting bribes amounting to RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah.
Judge Azura Alwi said the court was satisfied with the prosecution’s request for an order to discharge the politician, adding that the court cannot conclude that the prosecution has no intention to proceed with the trial.
Meanwhile, at the Shah Alam High Court, Zahid was acquitted of 40 charges of receiving bribes from a company to extend its VLN contract when he was the home minister.
Zahid was accused of 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to extend the firm’s contract as the operator of a one-stop centre in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain a contract for the supply of the VLN integrated system.
He was also charged with seven other counts of obtaining for himself S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company in connection with his official duties.
High Court judge Yazid Mustafa ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the Umno president.
In his judgment, Yazid said the prosecution’s case crumbled as its three key witnesses – former UKSB directors Harry Lee, Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani and David Tan – were unreliable and not credible.
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