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©Malaysiakini (Used by permission)
by Chua Sue-Ann

The royal commission of inquiry into the ‘Lingam tape’ today interrogated senior Anti-corruption Agency (ACA) investigating officer Chuah Lay Choo for neglecting to record statements of important witnesses.

Among the six names mentioned by commissioner Mahadev Shankar (photo) were Zainuddin Ismail, Raja Aziz, Thayalan, Zainal and Manjit.

Although he did not state the names in full, Mahadev noted that these had appeared in Chuah’s copy of the transcript of senior lawyer VK Lingam’s telephone conversation from the tape.

“Why this omission?” Mahadev asked, to which Chuah replied that she had recorded statements only from R Thayalan and Raja Aziz - without providing reasons - and then identified Thayalan as VK Lingam’s lawyer.

Further questioned by Mahadev and another commissioner, Steve Shim, as to whether Chuah believed that the witnesses were important, she said: “In this context, (they are) relevant.”

Chuah, who began testifying yesterday as the second of 17 witnesses on the panel’s list, said she had recorded statements from 33 witnesses during the investigation into claims of judicial fixing, based on Lingam’s conversation.

She submitted investigation papers to her branch chief Sazali Salbi for guidance and direction but not the ACA prosecutor, she said.

Discrepancies discovered

Lawyer Ranjit Singh, who is holding a watching brief for the Malaysian Bar, highlighted “material discrepancies” in Chuah’s transcript - compared to the Bar Council’s copy - of the telephone conversation.

In it, Lingam can be heard discussing the appointment of judges allegedly with then chief judge of Malaya Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

Ranjit proceeded to lead Chuah through 11 discrepancies, beginning with the omission of the word ‘with’ in her transcription.

The royal commission rejected that example as unimportant but Ranjit argued that the Bar Council had highlighted other more important examples.

In the interests of time, Chuah was granted leave to study the video clip against the discrepancies and will testify again tomorrow.

Yesterday, she confirmed that photos taken in Lingam’s house matched the background of the video, which was recorded in late 2001.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim are expected to appear as witnesses tomorrow at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex in Jalan Duta.

PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah and Anwar’s aide Sim Tze Tzin are also expected to testify as the inquiry enters its third day.

Other members of the commission are chairperson Haidar Mohamed Noor, former solicitor-general Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh and historian and human rights commissioner Prof Khoo Kay Kim.

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