KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 - Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealed today that Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh can represent the Attorney-General (A-G) and prosecute Datuk V.K. Lingam.
Nazri stressed that the government has no reason to defend Lingam and that veteran lawmaker can charge him.
“If Karpal is willing to represent the A-G, I will persuade the AG to engage Karpal to prosecute on the behalf of the government,” he told reporters at the parliament lobby here. “Let him charge ... the government has no reason to defend Lingam.”
Lingam was implicated in a scandal involving senior judges and found by a royal commission to be the person recorded “fixing” the appointment of judges.
The royal commission found strong evidence against Lingam and in its report suggested that action be taken against him and others implicated in the infamous “correct, correct, correct” recording.
Other figures implicated include Eusoff, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and tycoon Vincent Tan, a close friend of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Photos also emerged of Eusoff and Lingam together on a holiday in New Zealand in the late 1990s.
Nazri explained that Lingam’s action may have been “morally wrong” but stressed that federal prosecutor could not charge him because there are no specific laws against it.
“Give me a section under any Act to charge Lingam. Give me an offence,” he added.
Karpal sounded surprised when he was later asked about Nazri’s offer.
“I am prepared to charge Lingam on the AG's behalf ... what has to be done now is for Nazri to shoot me a fiat (an authoritative order),” said Karpal.
He also hoped that Nazri would not retract the offer and, instead, help expedite the procedures to allow him to take action
On Friday, the deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed that the government would leave it up to Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to decide if Lingam’s alleged role in fixing judicial appointments should be re-investigated.
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