Did AG file flawed charges to let Ling off?

Did the Attorney-General's Chambers deliberately file flawed charges against former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik so that he will be acquitted on the charges against him in connection with the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project?

This is the question raised by Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, after this morning's High Court decision acquitting Ling.

"The attorney-general must either be incompetent, or especially clever in framing a charge knowing that it will never stand up to scrutiny," Pua said in a statement.

Ling has been accused of misleading the cabinet in relation to the PKFZ project, the cost of which ballooned from RM1.1 billion to RM12.5 billion.

Pua, who is also DAP national publicity chief, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir's Mohamad's denial of being misled was already suffice to destroy the prosecution's case.

"The High Court judge would have little choice but to acquit the former transport minister because the onus on the attorney-general to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt was almost impossible.

"Not only did the Attorney-General's Chambers pick charges that were the hardest to prove, it also failed to conduct investigations in a competent manner, intentionally or otherwise," he said.

Pua pointed out that this was the second major criminal case where the attorney-general had failed to secure a conviction.

The last, he said was the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, where prosecutors were blamed for failing to summon key witnesses.

The fact that "big fishes" linked to BN are getting away does not inspire confidence among Malaysians that they will receive the justice they deserve, said Pua.

"Uuntil such big fishes are caught and punished by the Najib administration, all the bells and whistles attached to the 'reform' programmes, such as the 'war against corruption', will just be mere rhetoric without action," he added.