THE NEW BLACK EYE? Is Shafee the new 'Rahim Noor' tasked to attack Anwar in prison

I call upon Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to state if it is the new practice of his chambers to attack and criticize accused persons particularly after they have been convicted and are in prison serving sentence.

Does he prosecute, get them convicted, put handcuffs on them, send them to prison and then go on a public rampage against them without giving them any opportunity to defend themselves?

This is a very serious matter as the Attorney-General would to my mind, in those circumstances, be going way beyond what is required of him both in law and ethically as public prosecutor.

The Federal Constitution gives the Attorney-General powers to prosecute. It stops there.

I must as Member of Parliament condemn any conduct on part of the Attorney-General which is oppressive and amounts to an abuse of process and power. No one should ever take any pride in attacking another who cannot defend himself.

Attack an action beyond shame, Gani must take responsibility

Former IGP Rahim Noor who infamously beat up Anwar while he was under police remand during the Sodomy I case in 1998

So I now demand that Gani state:

1. Did he authorize the publication of statements attacking and ridiculing Anwar Ibrahim after the Federal Court affirmed his conviction?

2. Does a fiat given by the Attorney-General to a private person in a criminal matter extend beyond and after the matter he is assigned to is finally disposed off in court?

3. Is it not an abuse of power for the Attorney-General, be it personally or through his deputies or authorized persons, to carry through with open attacks against a convicted person on his behalf after his prosecution has come to an end?

Bar Council must reprimand Shafee & AG

Shafee who has launched a high-profile attack against Anwar Ibrahim after the conviction

Gani must now decide if he wishes to take matters to an entirely different level in criminal law.

I also call upon the Bar Council to state its position on the matter.

Controversial AG - Gani Patail

We must now consider and set the markers clearly in cases where members of the bar are invited to prosecute, for their conduct in such capacity would impact on the reputation of members of the bar generally and the level of ethics which is to be expected of lawyers in practice.

In the meanwhile, Gani should advise Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah to put a lid on his post conviction commentary and criticism of Anwar Ibrahim which is to my mind nothing short of embarrassing if not shameful to the office of the Attorney-General.

GOBIND SINGH DEO is MP for Puchong