Lawyers have asked Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to explain the prosecution's shortcomings which led to the acquittal of former Perwaja Steel managing director Eric Chia.

In acquitting Chia, 74, yesterday the Sessions Court ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

Judge Akhtar Tahir said the charge against Chia was "weak". He also said there was a "total lack of direction by the prosecution" and that the prosecution failed to call two material witnesses.

This is what the lawyers had to say:

Param Cumaraswamy, former Bar Council president

The AG must be called to account for the blunder in the prosecution of the charges. The AG should reply to the shortcomings in the prosecution as commented by the judge unless he appeals the acquittal.

In the light of this acquittal, the entire Price Waterhouse report which audited the Perwaja accounts and made recommendations in 1998 should be made public by the government. The public has a right to know all the findings in the report to evaluate what happened to billions of tax payers funds and the names of those responsible.

The prime minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) who took office with the commitment to combat corruption should not now be seen as condoning secrecy and impunity. It is time the report be made public.

Fahri Azzat, Bar Council's human rights committee member

The fact that the acquittal came even before the defence was called showed how incompetent the prosecution was.

The AG owes us a convincing explanation of the change of the prosecution team in the Altantuya Shaariibuu's case and in this latest Eric Chia's case, the AG has the moral obligation to tell us what on earth went wrong with the prosecution.

The judge's comment was not just saying the acquittal was due to lack of evidence but it was due to the prosecution's incompetence - which is basically saying that the AG's boys screwed up.

Richard Wee, KL Bar committee member

(The weak prosecution) is an inherent problem in the administration of the prosecution's office. However, to be fair to the prosecution, they are also in reliance of the collation of evidence by the police (in prosecuting).

The entire prosecution unit must take responsibility. Since Canny Ong's murder case, there has been a series of high-profile cases where the prosecution had failed to prove their case and the accused were acquitted. Public confidence has eroded.

In Eric Chia's case, questions will remain unanswered that where did that RM76 million go and who did it?

V Sithambaram, Bar Council's criminal law committee head

It is too premature to conclude at this stage on the conduct of the prosecution. It is too early to pass a verdict because if there in an appeal filed later, we do not know whether the High Court will confirm or reverse the (sessions court's) judgement.

It will only be fair for us to comment on the prosecution's conduct if no appeal is filed.

According to a Bernama report today, the prosecution had filed a notice of appeal yesterday.