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© The Star (Used by permission)
By Esther Ng and Lee Yuk Peng

KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer has filed three defamation suits for a total of RM190 million against a lawyer, three journalists and several others over an article in the International Commercial Litigation magazine (ICL).

The article, Malaysian Justice on Trial, was published in the November issue of the British-based magazine.

Datuk V.K. Lingam filed the suits over the article which had discussed several issues including the controversial Ayer Molek case and the Tan Sri Vincent Tan libel suit -- two cases Lingam had handled.

He is seeking RM60 million in damages from senior lawyer Tommy Thomas, who is also Bar Council secretary, and his firm Skrine & Co.

The suit was filed at the High Court registry recently by Lingam's lawyer V. Sivaparanjothi.

In his suit against Thomas and Skrine, Lingam said the defendants had "caused and participated" in the article.

Lingam claimed Thomas' words in the article, among others, had meant that he (Lingam) was corrupt or had attempted to corrupt the Malaysian judiciary to obtain "special favours" for his clients.

He claimed that the words had "gravely injured" and damaged his feelings, personal and professional reputation.

"The allegations complained of were self-evidently of the most serious and damaging in nature. Indeed, no more serious allegations could be made against a professional lawyer," he said.

On March 5, Lingam had filed the libel suit against ICL's staff writer David Samuels, editor Joff Wild, its publisher Robert Menzies Walker and owner, Euromoney Publications PLC of London, for RM100 million.

On March 28, the High Court had granted leave to Lingam to serve the writ on the parties abroad.

Lingam had also filed a RM30 million suit against a Malaysian-based correspondent of the Asian Wall Street Journal, Raphael Pura, who was quoted in the same article.

He is seeking damages amounting to RM15 million (including aggravated and/or exemplary damages) from Pura for slander and another RM15 million for libel.

Pura denied the allegations.

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