BRITAIN: The man who has the responsibility of building a case against Saddam Hussein last night said murder charges against him in Iraq were an attempt to derail the special tribunal.
Salem Chalabi (41) claimed a warrant issued for his arrest in connection with the death of the director general of the Iraqi finance ministry, Haithem Fadhil, is part of an attempt to "humiliate" him and undermine the legal process.
The lawyer and executive director of the Iraqi special tribunal is at his London home and has been warned he will be put into custody if he returns to Baghdad. Mr Chalabi said: "We are working out my return because the results of this could be destabilising to the tribunal process.
"We would hope that they lift this silly warrant and we can get things running again before the judgment of the judiciary is called into question. I am more concerned about the way the details of this warrant have been leaked than the allegations themselves, which are ridiculous."
Iraq’s chief investigating judge, Zuhair al-Maliki, issued a warrant last week and claims Mr Chalabi made a threat to kill Mr Fadhil. It is alleged that Mr Fadhil had prepared a report accusing the Chalabi family of seizing government property.
Mr Chalabi has denied the claims and said he suspected the inquiry was part of a plot by Ba’ath party loyalists to undermine Saddam’s trial. He also claimed the judge who issued the warrant had previously criticised the tribunal process.
"I have had previous death threats and my home in Baghdad’s green zone was shelled with three mortars. People deliberately want to kill me, "Mr Chalabi said.
"I want to return to Baghdad but I have been threatened that they would throw me in jail. Through indirect sources I know they want to humiliate me and threaten my life."
Mr Chalabi said minutes of the Iraqi Governing Council showed he had been present there on the day he is alleged to have visited Mr Fadhil's office and threatened him. He also confirmed that both Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and President Ghazi al-Yawer were directly involved in attempts to secure his return to Baghdad.
It is claimed that if tried and convicted, Mr Chalabi, who has British residency, could face the death penalty, which was restored by Iraqi officials on Sunday.
Iraqi authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for Mr Chalabi’s uncle, Ahmad Chalabi, a former Governing Council member.
He is wanted for questioning on counterfeiting charges and also dismissed the allegations as part of a political conspiracy.
Ahmad, who had once been considered Washington’s most likely choice as Iraqi president, is accused of counterfeiting old Iraqi dinars, which were removed from circulation following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Salem Chalabi believes Saddam could face the death penalty following the change in Iraqi law.
He said: "I imagine that if he is convicted of some of the crimes and the charges against him by a judge following a fair trial, I imagine they would try to institute it [the death penalty]."