Former Sodomy II investigator cries foul after barred from Bar

Malay Mail 
by IDA NADIRAH

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Former police investigating officer Jude Blacious Pereira is unhappy with the Bar Council for objecting to him practising law.

He said he had received a letter from the council in November withdrawing its objection against him being admitted as an advocate and solicitor.

However, he was surprised the matter was brought  up on Wednesday in  the High Court, which allowed the council’s  objection.

“It is not fair for the Bar Council to go against me and judge me based on the Brickfields case,” said Pereira, who was the investigating officer in the second Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sodomy case,

“I did not act on my own accord but acted while I was under the police force.

“I will appeal and leave this to the court. Let them decide.”

Pereira questioned why he was allowed to go through seven months of chambering without any objection from the council.

“Up to my third call they did not object, so why is it that at the last minute they are the pulling the carpet under my feet?” he asked.

Pereira said he failed the first time he sat for the Ethics and Professional Standards examination organised by the council but passed when he sat for the paper again and obtained a certificate.

“I was looking forward to practising law. It is the only thing I am good at,” he said.

High Court judge Datuk Zaleha Yusof, who struck out the petition by Pereira to practise law, allowed the Bar Council’s notice of objection and notice of caveat against admitting him as an advocate and solicitor.

After retiring from the police force as a superintendent, Pereira had applied to practise in Ipoh where he completed his chambering.

Lawyer Pavendeep Singh,  representing the Bar Council, said the Bar had the right to object to Pereira because he was found “not to be a credible witness” during a human rights case last May, based on the Human Rights Commission inquiry.

The case involved the arrest of five lawyers at the Brickfields police station on May 7, which was later found to be in violation of human rights due  to mala fide (acting in bad faith).

Pereira was one of the two top police officers responsible, along with OCPD Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid.