PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar has expressed hope that the government will waive the privileges and immunity granted to former Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) director Sundra Rajoo to enable a comprehensive investigation of any alleged wrongdoing.
Bar president George Varughese said such a waiver would be in line with the government’s emphasis on upholding the rule of law.
“It will also afford all implicated persons an opportunity to clear their names.
“We also trust that the AIAC will extend its fullest cooperation to the relevant authorities, in the interest of facilitating compliance with all domestic legislation and the proper administration of justice,” Varughese said in a statement congratulating senior lawyer Vinayak Pradhan who has been appointed as the acting director of the AIAC.
Pradhan replaces Sundra who resigned after helming the body for nine years.
It was reported that Sundra, a FIFA Ethics Committee judge, was held overnight, but released after a magistrate dismissed an application for a remand order by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on grounds that Sundra had diplomatic immunity as head of the AIAC.
Sundra has been accused of using his position to gain financial favours, reports said.
He was appointed last year as one of two deputy chairmen of the Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory chamber, which has slapped lifetime bans on several football executives named in a sprawling US Justice Department probe into football corruption.
The adjudicatory chamber was responsible for banning former president of the governing body of world football Sepp Blatter and UEFA head Michel Platini.