January 19, 2006	Thursday	Zilhaj 18, 1426

BAGHDAD, Jan 18: The Iraqi court trying Saddam Hussein was thrown into fresh confusion on Wednesday when a senior official denounced the new chief judge as a member of Saddam’s banned Baath party who should be barred from office.

“(Sayeed) al Hamashi is the object of a debaathification inquiry,” Ali Faisal, executive manager of the independent Debaathification Commission, said. “His presence in this court violates the statutes ... and he must be replaced.”

He said Mr Hamashi’s position at the court only came to the commission’s notice when he was named by tribunal officials as taking over after the previous chief judge resigned last week.

Chief prosecutor Jaafar al Moussawi, however, dismissed the commission’s comments and said court officials would want to see evidence before withdrawing support for Hamashi on the bench.

“Hamashi denies having any relationship with the Baath party,” Mr Moussawi said. “The commission ... must provide its evidence to prove its credibility.”

The commission, set up under US military rule after Saddam’s overthrow in 2003, is charged with rooting out members of the Baath party from positions of power. —Reuters