The Bar Council has called on the police to take stern action against lawyers involved in any criminal breach of trust or money laundering cases.

Its president K Ragunath said each year, 30 to 40 lawyers were struck off the list by the Bar Council from practising law and police reports lodged, but there were no further action by police.

NONE "In the Bar Council, we have a strong and independent disciplinary board that comes down very hard on errant lawyers. But that is the only power we have.

"We do not have the power to send someone to prison.

"Our issue is that police action is very slow in such cases. We are prepared to assist the police in any formal action they want to take against errant lawyers," he told reporters after the launching of Phase 6: The Judiciary and the Malaysia Day Street Festival in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was commenting on Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam's suggestion for the Bar Council to audit its members to ensure that they have not committed any crime.

Ali made the proposal following the gruesome murders of cosmetic queen Sosilawati Lawiya and three others said to have been masterminded by two lawyer brothers.

Allow police a bit of space

Ragunath also urged members of the media and the public to give space to the police to complete their investigation and not make any accusation until those detained are proven guilty.

"We are concerned that the allegations made in the media may jeopardise the investigation and prejudice those detained.

"If you want convictions, you must allow the police a bit of space to complete their investigation.

"If it (investigation) is hazy, a situation may arise where the person charged is acquitted on technicality," he said.

It was reported that Sosilawati and the three others went missing on Aug 30 after they went to meet the two lawyer brothers in Banting over a land deal.

The police investigation later revealed that the four were murdered before their bodies were burnt and the ashes scattered in streams in the area.

The four were allegedly murdered in a poultry farm in Sungai Gadung, near Tanjung Sepat which is owned by one of the lawyers, said to be a Datuk.

- Bernama