Nazri: Let ‘em come, it’s a free country

Lawyers from both parties involved in the Suaram-initiated Scorpene inquiry can provide a briefing in the Dewan Rakyat, says the minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz today said that he is open to having lawyers involved in the Suaram-initiated Scorpene inquiry provide a briefing in Dewan Rakyat.

In a press conference this morning, Suaram said lawyers from the French company, DCNS, involved in the multi-billion ringgit purchase of the Scorpene submarines, had been invited to explain their side of what is transpiring in the French courts.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had earlier this month invited Suaram’s lawyers William Bourdon and Joseph Breham to brief the Malaysian Parliament on the latest status of the Scorpene probe. The lawyers had accepted Anwar’s invitation, and were now awaiting approval for their visas.

Asked on his views regarding this matter, Nazri, the de facto law minister, told FMT:” Sure. I have no problems with that. It’s a free country.”

The minister asked all relevant parties to contact the Barisan Nasional’s backbenchers club to make the necessary arrangements in Parliament.

In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its inquiry into Suaram’s claim that French naval firm DCNS had paid some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a contract for two submarines. Suaram had filed the complaint with the French courts in 2009.

The government, particularly the Defence Ministry, had been evasive when questioned in parliament over the issue. It had said that that an investigation was vastly different from a trial.

Several pro-government quarters accused Suaram of working with the opposition to play up the issue for political mileage.

Suaram had also recently come under intense scrutiny over the running of its organisation. It had been accused of having a “foreign funded” agenda of toppling the government, a claim which Suaram denied.

Bar raps cops for harassing lawyers
In a related development, the Malaysian Bar voiced concern that a lawyer acting for Suaram, Chan Weng Keng, was served with a written order by the police to produce documents relating to Suaram.

Bar Council vice-president Christopher Leong said the police were harassing lawyers and obstructing them from executing their professional duties.

He added that the police were disregarding the legal principle of solicitor-client confidentiality,

“Such action by the police is oppressive, and constitutes blatant intimidation. It is an intolerable incursion on the independence of the Bar and a severe interference with a lawyer’s obligation to advise and act for clients without fear or favour,” he said.

Describing the police’s action as “appalling and unacceptable intrusion”, he said it showed a grave lack of respect for the criminal justice system.

Leong said that the concerted mobiliation of various agencies in investigating Suaram gave the perception that the issue was due to the Scorpene affair.

“This selective application of resources and legislative provisions, and the clear abuse of our criminal procedure rules will, in the long term, undermine respect for the system of law and order, and damage the proper administration of justice, in this country,” he warned.

The Bar called on the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to put an immediate halt to the repeated cases of lawyers being harassed, intimidated and interfered with by the police.

Leong also asked stern action be taken against police officers guilty of such behaviour, saying “bullying tactics must not go unchecked.”