©Malaysiakini
(Used by permission)
by Beh Lih Yi
An Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee – lawyer M Manoharan – will be among
four new witnesses told to appear next week before the royal commission of
inquiry into the Lingam tape.
Commission chief Haidar Mohd Noor confirmed at the end of today’s proceeding
that the four will testify when the high–profile inquiry resumes next Tuesday,
after a break for the Chinese New Year holidays.
Apart from Manoharan, the commission has sought the presence of senior lawyer
Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and two former employees of lawyer VK Lingam – his
former secretary Jeyanthi and ex–driver Chandran.
Manoharan, a legal advisor to the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), was
arrested with four of the movement’s leaders on Dec 13 last year. They are
currently being held under the ISA at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping,
Perak.
Haidar appeared to be unaware that Manoharan, who is also a DAP leader, is in
detention. He asked lawyer Karpal Singh whether his client (Manoharan) could
show up next Tuesday.
"My client is under ISA detention," Karpal told Haidar, but added that the
internal security minister – who signs the detention order – has discretion to
allow Manoharan to be produced in court or for an inquiry.
Karpal said: "When I was held under ISA, I was brought to court after the
attorney–general intervened and talked to the minister."
Haidar then ordered deputy public prosecutor Nordin Hassan, who is assisting the
commission as inquiry officer, to contact the attorney–general to ensure that
Manoharan is brought before the inquiry.
* Manoharan’s name was brought up in the proceedings, as allegedly having acted
for Lingam’s brother V Thirunama Karasu – the duo were said to have extorted
money from Lingam for not exposing the lawyer’s purported close ties with
several top judges.
* Shafee is in possession of the negatives of Lingam’s infamous 1994 New Zealand holiday photos with former chief justice Mohd Eusoff Chin.
* Jeyanthi was instrumental in arranging the trip for Lingam
although Lingam has denied she was his secretary, saying there are many people
named Jeyanthi.
No specific information was immediately available as to why Chandran's presence
is required, but all four are believed to be able to shed more light on the
scandalous issues revealed to date.
The commission has so far has called 18 witnesses.
Shafee’s claim refuted
The commission has yet to rule on whether it will call three other potential
witnesses – former High Court judge KL Rekhraj, Lingam’s sister VK Lashimi and
psychiatrist Dr M Mahadevan who had treated Thirunama. Applications have been
submitted for them to testify.
Rekhraj’s name was brought up at the inquiry yesterday when Shafee said the
former had lodged a police report against him previously over breach of official
secrets.
Shafee claimed the former judge, however, had apologised to
him later over the phone for having lodged the report and said he had been
instructed to so by Eusoff.
This was denied by both Rekhraj and Eusoff today.
"Rekhraj has asked me to confirm that he never phoned Shafee to apologise and
there is no need to apologise. He made the police report against Shafee after
being advised by then attorney–general Mohtar Abdullah," Eusoff’s lawyer Hazman
Ahmad told the commission.
He said Eusoff has also denied having instructed Rekhraj to do so.
A black diary
Thirunama continued his testimony this afternoon with counsel for the Malaysian
Bar, Christopher Leong, questioning him.
Asked if he knew why Lingam had gone to Eusoff’s house at late hours and in
different cars, the 50–year–old electrician said this was because Lingam did not
want to be recognised.
On whether Lingam told him the purpose of those visits, Thirunama replied: "Only
on two occasions – one is (about) Ayer Molek and another is (about) Insas."
He said he could not recall Lingam was using more than one handphone number and
did not know his estranged brother’s number in 2001.
"I only know one (phone) number he was using," said Thirunama (photo).
To another question, Thirunama said he had recorded what Lingam told him in a
black diary as he was very "frightened" of his brother.
"If I forget things, he will shout at me," he explained.
The black diary later became the subject of investigation when the
Anti–Corruption Agency started a probe against Lingam in 1998.
Thirunama will continue testifying when the panel reconvenes next week.