Is paying Zakat to the government obligatory, or is it permissible for the one paying Zakat to distribute it to the needy himself?

If the Imam is just in collecting and disbursing zakat, it should be paid to him. But if he is not, the owner of the wealth should disburse it to the deserving recipients, and it should not be paid to the Imam even if he requests it. Some scholars, like the Hanbalis, have even recommended that the zakat payer distribute his zakat himself, even if a just Imam exists, to ensure it reaches its rightful recipients.