Shafee can’t be lead prosecutor in Anwar’s appeal case due to conflict of interest, Federal Court told

Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah must be disqualified from leading the prosecution team to set aside the sodomy acquittal of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as there was overwhelming evidence of conflict of interest, the Federal Court was told today.

Counsel Tommy Thomas said Shafee should be barred from taking up this case because as a lawyer he would also be in breach of the Legal Profession (Practice and Etiquette) Rules 1978.

Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail appointed Shafee as ad hoc deputy public prosecutor (DPP) last July.

Thomas said Shafee acknowledged he was the lawyer for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in an application by Anwar to have them as defence witnesses in the sodomy case.

"He was also legal adviser to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in relation to Anwar's cases," Thomas said, adding that Shafee was the legal adviser to Umno and Barisan Nasional, in his submission before a five-man bench led by Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin today.