The former head of Iraq's special tribunal set up to try Saddam Hussein accused the interim government on Thursday of manipulating the tribunal for political ends and planning hasty show trials and executions.
In a lengthy statement emailed to news organizations, Salem Chalabi also said the government had concocted politically motivated murder charges against him to oust him from his post.
The government said it had no immediate response to Chalabi's accusations.
"The caretaker government wants to begin the trials, and possibly even conclude them, before the Iraqi elections scheduled for late January because they believe this will help their popularity in the country," Chalabi wrote.
"I know more than anybody the state of the investigations and they are not nearly ready for indictments — let alone trials — which would meet minimum standards of due process."
Trial may begin as early as October
Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said recently he expected the trial of Saddam to begin as early as October, whereas Chalabi had previously said it would take much longer.
"Show trials followed by speedy executions may help the interim government politically in the short term but will be counterproductive for the development of democracy and the rule of law in Iraq in the long term," Chalabi wrote.
Chalabi, a U.S.-educated commercial lawyer, was appointed by U.S. authorities to head the special tribunal shortly after Saddam's regime was toppled, and confirmed in the position by the now-defunct Iraqi Governing Council in May this year.
He denied reports he had resigned after the murder charges were brought in August, saying he had returned to Iraq, met the investigating judge and showed him evidence of his innocence.
The charges were dropped, although the case remains open.
Chalabi said his insistence on independence for the tribunal and due protection for all defendants under the law were the main reasons why the interim government wanted him removed.
"The interim Iraqi government is attempting to take control of the Iraqi Special Tribunal for political purposes," he wrote.
On the day the murder charges were brought against Chalabi, 41, counterfeiting charges were also brought against his uncle, Ahmad Chalabi, a controversial figure who was once a Pentagon favorite and tipped to lead post-Saddam Iraq.
