Karpal Singh has blasted Chief Justice Zaki Azmi ( below ) for refusing to confirm that he had received a complaint lodged against him recommending disciplinary action, saying that there was “nothing political” in the lawyer’s move.

NONE When asked at a press conference last Friday, the chief justice had immediately clammed up on hearing Karpal’s name saying, “No comment. I do not want to enter into the political arena.”

The DAP chairperson says the notice was handed to Zaki’s office on Aug 20 and that his office had acknowledged receipt.

“I have a written acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint,” said Karpal in a statement today.

“I call upon the chief justice to reply to my complaint within 7 days from today as this matter will be brought up at the budget sitting of Parliament (that starts) from Oct 11,” added the Bukit Gelugor MP.

Karpal was the first to file a complaint under two Acts that came into force in March 2009, namely the Judges' Code of Ethics Act 2009 and the Judges' Ethics Committee Act 2009.    

The complaint marks a continuation of Karpal's battle to have the chief justice removed, that began with a police report in 2008 based on Zaki’s admission that he had bribed court officers when he was a lawyer in 1987.

CJ’s character ‘defective’

Karpal ( below ) said that he has “made a serious allegation against the chief justice contending that he is not fit to be chief justice, and that action by the Judges Ethics Committee should be taken against him”.

NONE The senior lawyer reiterates that New Straits Time on Nov 7, 2008 reported Zaki saying, “It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were attended to."

He refuted Zaki’s reply that he had been “misquoted” saying, “This is a blatant lie as I have a recording of what he had said in Kuching.”

The DAP veteran also said Zaki’s warning to Judicial officers against corrupt practices on June 11 at the Federal Court Excellent Services Award prize-giving was “hypocritical”.

“By pontificating and warning others over any corrupt practices, the chief justice is guilty of misconduct and the highest form of hypocrisy, when he himself had publicly confessed to giving bribes...” said Karpal.

“There is therefore serious defect in the chief justice’s character, warranting disciplinary action ...or removal as chief justice by a tribunal appointed by the King pursuant to Article 125(4) of the federal constitution,” he added.