CJ Zaki sidesteps Karpal’s complaints against him

Karpal has made repeated calls for Zaki to step down as Chief Justice. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Tun Zaki Azmi refused today to take any questions on allegations that he had breached the judges’ code of ethics and calls from the opposition for him to step down, adding that he did not want to be embroiled in politics.

“No comment, leave politics out of this,” the Chief Justice told reporters here.

On August, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh called on the prime minister to step in and act against Zaki, whom he accused of hypocrisy and misconduct while on the Bench.

The Bukit Gelugor MP also called for a tribunal to be set up to probe the country’s top judge.

The veteran lawyer had criticised Zaki for rapping jurists and other court officials for being on the take when the latter had two years ago disclosed, in an interview with a national English daily, that he had offered bribes while a lawyer.

“It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were attended to,” the New Straits Times had published on November 7, 2008, quoting Zaki who had then just been promoted to the top judicial post.

Karpal has repeatedly attacked Zaki over the 2008 disclosure and pressed him to resign from his post, despite the latter’s claims he was misquoted.

Zaki today refused to acknowledge if he had received the complaint and asked reporters to focus on his efforts to improve the judiciary.

Previously, Karpal stressed that only the prime minister had the constitutional power to remove the Chief Justice.

He said the allegations against Zaki were not baseless and stressed that he had nothing personal against the Chief Justice.

“To be fair, I think he should step down [as Chief Justice]. I’m making this complaint in my capacity as a member of parliament,” Karpal said.

courtesy of Malaysian Insider