AG urged to form task force on probe involving judge Nazlan

The attorney-general has been urged to form a special investigation team to probe affairs involving Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said this is necessary as there are now overlapping investigations by the MACC and police.

"The first thing that needs to be verified is whether the claims made in Malaysia Today (website) are true," he said in a statement.

If the claims by the website were baseless, then action should be taken against the author, he said.

But if there is a basis to the claims, Haniff (above) said only then will the MACC have grounds to investigate Nazlan.

A special investigation team, he said, would ensure both the report to the MACC and the police can be investigated concurrently.

Accused of receiving RM2m

The MACC has confirmed it is investigating Nazlan based on a report lodged by Persatuan Sahabat Ulul Amri Malaysia (PSUAM) on March 11.

PSUAM lodged the report based on allegations by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner's testimony in a US court.

According to the group, Leissner's testimony linked Nazlan to 1MDB's deal involving Tanjung Energy Holdings Sdn Bhd in 2012.

At the material time, Nazlan was part of Maybank. He joined the judiciary in 2017 as a judicial commissioner.

Allegations against Nazlan gained prominence after Malaysia Today published an article on April 21, accusing him of receiving RM2 million from Jho Low.

The following day, Nazlan lodged a police report denying those claims.

Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali

Haniff argued that no one is above the law, including judges.

Therefore, he said, the flood of criticisms against the authorities for investigating Nazlan was unwarranted.

Haniff said critics claimed that judges can only be scrutinised by way of a tribunal.

However, he argued that tribunals only function to remove judges over wrongdoings.

"However, allegations involving a crime must be investigated by the authorities. It cannot be taken over by a tribunal.

"A tribunal does not have the power to lay charges. The politicians have to be aware of this," he said.

Hanif said he was aware of why politicians are suspicious of MACC's investigations against Nazlan and attributed this to the commission's damaged reputation following allegations against their chief commissioner Azam Baki.

Azam was accused of having a huge stake in a public listed company. However, MACC's advisory board cleared him of wrongdoing.

"People are suspicious as to why (the MACC) is acting swiftly now in investigating Justice Nazlan even after the latter had lodged a police report," he said. - Mkini