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ACA officials quiz Anwar

Friday, 05 October 2007 11:59pm

©Malaysiakini (Used by permission)
by Andrew Ong

The Anti-Corruption Agency today recorded a statement from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim over the VK Lingam video clip.

Two ACA officers spent almost two hours interviewing the opposition leader at his office in Petaling Jaya.

The officers, who refused to identify themselves to the press, arrived at 3.30pm and left at about 5.15pm.

Anwar is the third known individual who has been quizzed over the video which purportedly detailed a conversation involving senior lawyer Lingam brokering judicial appointments.

From the context of the conversation, Anwar, who exposed the video on Sept 19, claimed that the person at the end of the line was current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim.

Following his meeting with the ACA officers, Anwar told reporters later that it was a cordial meeting and that he was quizzed on the identity of the source.

Personal security

ACA officials quiz Anwar Anwar said he told the officers that the sources had promised to disclose everything if a royal commission of inquiry is established to investigate the alleged offences in the video clip.

“Then, at least they (the sources) know that there is immunity and they would have more confidence,” he said.

He said the ACA officers informed him that witnesses would be protected under Section 53 of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 but Anwar claimed that this was insufficient.

The law, which he had introduced during his tenure as deputy prime minister, allowed information about whistleblowers to be withheld, even in court proceedings.

“But it cannot guarantee personal security,” he said, adding that he had undertaken a guarantee of the sources’ safety.

“They (the sources) know that the system has failed them in the past. They have protected ministers and corporate leaders who are corrupt,” he added.

Royal commission

To a question, Anwar said he was not served a notice by the ACA compelling him to revealing the identity of the sources.

Yesterday, PKR vice president R Sivarasa and Anwar’s aide Sim Tze Tzin were both served with such notices.

They are liable to a two-year jail term or RM10,000 fine if they fail to disclose the names by Oct 9.

Commenting on this, Anwar said the party would decide on its next course of action soon.

Anwar said there was enough reason for the ACA to expand its investigations to those individuals mentioned in the video because a Malaysiakini report verified some of the claims made by Lingam in the video.

“It all tallies. It must mean that either Lingam is in the know, or he is a astrologer,” he quipped.

Anwar stressed that PKR was demanding a royal commission because the government- established three-member panel admitted that it had no powers to initiate a proper investigation.

The panel appointed by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is tasked with looking into the authenticity of the video.

“Is it just to report to Najib? Is that the intention? I appeal to the panel members to take a position and support the demand for a royal commission,” he said.