Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail does not have the power to investigate the allegation that prominent lawyer Cecil Abraham had fabricated evidence in preparing private eye P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD2) on the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

NONE "How I wish I have the power," Gani (right) said curtly when asked if his chambers would investigate the claims made by Bala's lawyer, Americk Singh Sidhu, at the Bar Council's annual general meeting two weeks ago.

"Let the Bar Council handle this. I think it is right for them to deal with it,” he said today at a press conference in Putrajaya called to brief journalists on the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone .

“Let lawyers be answerable to the Legal Profession Act. I'm not like the US attorney-general, who has more powers."

Gani said he is being criticised in some quarters that want even his limited powers to be removed.

Americk had claimed during the AGM that Cecil had admitted in confidence that he had drafted SD2 on the instructions of Najib Abdul Razak, then the deputy premier.

azlan Cecil had reportedly said this at a private meeting with Americk just days after Bala’s death due to a heart attack.

Bala had maintained that the claims he made in his first SD, which implicated Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, are true.

The second SD had said that all the statements made in the first SD were false and made under duress.

'This is nonsense'

In an immediate reaction, senior lawyer Gobind Singh Deo has deemed Gani denial of investigating power as pure “nonsense” and failure to see justice done.

He said under Article 145(3) of the federal constitution, the attorney-general is accorded the discretion to “institute, conduct or discontinue” any proceedings for an offence, and must be alert to new facts and circumstances which could impact upon an ongoing case.

NONE “Is he saying that where new evidence comes up during or even after a prosecution or appeal showing that others may be responsible for the crime or that important witnesses have been kept away, he is under no obligation to make further inquiries to be certain of his facts?

“Is our attorney-general so powerless so much so that he has to remain quiet, shut his ears and eyes and fold his arms and do absolutely nothing in such circumstances?” the Puchong MP queried in a statement.