Of attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail (right), the aura of invulnerability which has congealed around him resembles which which surrounded J Edgar Hoover, legendary executive of the FBI in the US, whose capacity to ferret secrets as well as divergent deployment of them opposite detractors finished him the feared operator in the corridors of power.
Hoover was essential to 5 US presidents before the sixth, faced with the preference to assistant him upon his reaching the mandatory early retirement age, played protected by fluctuating tenure.
Lyndon Johnson's reason for his preference enjoys an imperishable niche in the collection of tainted putdowns: "It is improved to have him (Hoover) inside the tent pissing out than outward the tent pissing in."
For the prolonged time now, the powers which reside in Abdul Gani's in front of as authorised confidant to the government, combined with his powerful purpose as the final word upon who to take to court as well as upon what grounds, has been the intent of open unease as well as critique from authorised as well as alternative circles.
Detractors have clamoured for the tributary in in between the purposes of government authorised confidant as well as crown prosecutor, arguing which their entwining engenders bias: an confidant to the government upon authorised counts would not be means to enjoy the claim unconcern from government's interests compulsory of the chairman when deciding who to prosecute.
Target of concentrated volleys
Attorney-generals from Abu Talib Othman,! in the 1980s, to Abdul Gani, in recent times, have come in for fire upon the insincere curiosity of their purposes as adviser-cum-prosecutor.
Abdul Gani, in particular, has been the aim of concentrated volleys since of purported machinations in murky subplots which presumably underlay the prosecution of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for corruption as well as abuse of energy as well as afterwards for sodomy in 1998 as well as 1999. Anwar was again charged with sodomy in 2008.
On the sodomy charges, Anwar was freed upon interest after portion the prolonged spell in jail in the initial box as well as he was clear in the second case.
In both cases, Abdul Gani had significant roles, yet he was not nonetheless the AG upon the initial arise when Anwar was charged with sodomy.
Senior military officers Mat Zain Ibrahim as well as Ramli Yusuff (centre in photo), both right away retired, have publicly called for an investigation of Abdul Gani formed upon what they claimed was documented proof purportedly display which the AG had intent in criminal control in cases trimming from Anwar's black eye situation to counts having to do with the apprehension as well as contingent pardon of an purported kingpin of gaming rackets in Johor.
These accusations have been dismissed by de facto law minister Mohd Nazri Aziz as old as well as discredited canards, with nothing goi! ng for t sew lightly save the rancour of those deploying them.
It has turn the hallowed jurisprudential tenet which what contingency be finished with all deliberate speed contingency additionally be seen to be done.
In alternative words, the wheels of probity contingency not usually shake to broach the products of probity yet contingency also, in the open reckoning, essentially be seen to do so: deliverance has the vital educational aspect.
Th e Najib Abdul Razak administration department is quite cool to the imperatives of these jurisprudential norms solely when it suits them.
This attitude, from the premiership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad upon down, has helped to shape metal around tribunes similar to Abdul Gani the shell of invulnerability which can usually be threatened by insurgencies from inside of rather than aggressive incursions from without.
Rift in the AG's Chambers
Thus when someone similar to the government prosecutor of Anwar in his second hearing for sodomy, Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, joins the antithesis leader's authorised team for the latter's counterclaim opposite charges arising from the Bersih protest of Apr 28, the frisson of anticipation courses through the veins of the examination public.
One hesitates to indicate which anything alternative than veteran motives influenced Mohd Yusof's preference to join Anwar's authorised team over the Bersih 3.0 contretemps.
Last February, Mohd Yusof (right) ret! ired fro m the Attorney-General's Chambers, headed by Abdul Gani, to go in to in isolation practice, so his taking up authorised cudgels right away upon behalf of in isolation customer Anwar should be no skin off Abdul Gani's nose.
Right? Well, yes, yet what about word upon two occasions in the past about the difference in in between Abdul Gani as well as Mohd Yusof which might have compulsory the involvement of the budding minister or two to steer counts away from the rootless course in the AG's Chambers.
Rumours everywhere upon the beltway as well as there have been no empirically great grounds to believe - yet the speculation strengthens with time - which in Malaysia rumours have been loyal unless specifically shown to be false.
No doubt, Mohd Yusof fasten Anwar's authorised team has right away turn the favo! ured sub ject in the political salons of the country, causing amazement in BN buliding as well as triumphalism in Pakatan Rakyat's.
It is an intriguing passing from one to another for Mohd Yusof - from prosecutor in Anwar's second hearing for sodomy to profession for his counterclaim over Anwar's allegedly illegal control during Bersih 3.0.
It would be same to, say, the prosecutor in the sexual battery box opposite Dominic Strauss-Kahn in New York final year (the box was dropped) fasten Strauss-Kahn's counterclaim team in Paris where right away the former International Monetary Fund arch is facing squad rape charges.
Abdul Gani has gone upon record to deny which there was the difference in in between him as well as Mohd Yusof. Could this rejection be pre-emptive positioning by the AG to take the potential detractor's thunder?
Suffice to contend the legal-political locus is in for intriguing times.
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