PI Bala's second SD: Court rules no misconduct by senior lawyer

The Court of Appeal today ruled there is insufficient direct evidence for the Bar Council's action against senior lawyer Cecil Abraham, who was alleged to have drafted or prepared the second statutory declaration of the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam in relation to the Altantuya Shaariibu murder.

Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who led the three-member bench, said the evidence was not enough to prove the Bar's complaint of misconduct against Abraham, based on a balance of probabilities, let alone beyond reasonable doubt.

"In summary, the complaint and evidence were patchy and largely hearsay and wholly unsafe to warrant a finding of misconduct within Section 94 of the Legal Profession Act...