Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar is now highly discredited, with the High Court implicating him in covering up the cause of death of suspected car thief A Kugan, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo says.

"It must have been brought to the notice of the prime minister that the conduct of the IGP was seriously in question with the case of Kugan pending, but yet the prime minister felt it fit for him (Khalid) to be appointed as IGP.

"Now, the prime minister is highly embarrassed and he has only himself to blame for not realising the obvious, which is that the court could well find against Khalid in the case, which it ultimately did," Gobind said in a statement yesterday.

kugan samples raided by police 080409 01 Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court implicated that Khalid, in attempting to cover up Kugan's death in January 2009, did not correct his statement that Kugan died of pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in lungs), despite a second autopsy report finding that Kugan had died of kidney failure as a result of his beatings.

The court also questioned the "unilateral" action of Khalid, who was then Selangor chief police officer, to investigate V Navindran, whom judge VT Singham implied could possibly be a scapegoat, for "causing hurt to extort a confession" instead of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code or manslaughter under Section 304.

Gobind said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should re-examine his decision to appoint Khalid as IGP, and pointed out that Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi too was facing a lawsuit .

"How does the prime minister talk of greater governance and transparency with appointments like these?

"In fact, the prime minister should perhaps go to the Federal Court tomorrow (today) morning in Putrajaya to hear for himself arguments in the case involving the allegations against his home minister," he said.

Gobind was refering to the case of businessperson Amir Bazli Abdullah, whom he is representing in court and who is accusing Ahmad Zahid of assault .