The appointment of a senior lawyer closely linked to Umno to lead the prosecution in the Sodomy II appeal smacks of desperation to convict Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, says Lawyers for Liberty NGO.

The group's advisor Eric Paulsen said Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's appointment as deputy public prosecutor in the case has sent the wrong message that the authorities will go to extraordinary lengths to secure Umno's political adversaries’ conviction.

"It cannot be over emphasised that the public prosecutor represents the state, the community at large and the interest of justice, and not Umno.

"The purpose of a criminal prosecution is not to obtain a conviction but to place fairly and independently before the courts all available evidence to what is alleged to be a crime.

"While the public prosecutor is not ultimately responsible for determining the guilt or innocence of an accused person, he or she must ensure that an accused receives a fair trial," he said in a statement yesterday.

Eric pointed out that Shafee is a well known lawyer who has appeared in several matters related to Umno interests.

He had also represented Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor as well as defending several high-profile defamation suits filed by Anwar.

"Shafee’s appointment further tarnishes the already battered reputation of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and reinforces public perception that the AGC is not independent and acts at the behest of Umno to prosecute the opposition on trumped up charges or for political offences," he said.

He urged the AGC to drop Shafee's appointment and work towards restoring public confidence in the institution.