An explosive video clip released today shows senior lawyer VK Lingam

YouTube Video Added: September 26, 2007

An explosive video clip released today shows senior lawyer VK Lingam in a phone conversation, purportedly with current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, allegedly fixing the appointment of senior judges.

Who is VK Lingam?

Soon Li Tsin
Oct 2, 2007 6:13pm

To many he is the senior lawyer in the videotape apparently brokering the appointment of 'friendly judges' into top positions in the judiciary but to others, he is a powerful and well-connected lawyer.

Anwar's name brought up by Lingam

From an article published in Malaysiakini Sep 19, 2007 6:45pm

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim claimed that his name was mentioned at a meeting between a number of unknown individuals at prominent lawyer VK Lingam's house in 2002.

It was at this meeting five years ago that Lingam had a telephone conversation purportedly with Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, who was then the Chief Judge of Malaya - the judiciary's No 3.

Their conversation was recorded on video by an unknown individual who is believed to be a participant of the meeting.

At a press conference today, in addition to the video footage, Anwar also played a short audio recording in which his name was brought up by Lingam.

'PM calls me on Anwar's case," said Lingam, according to the audio recording.

The audio recording was a continuation to the 14-minute video clip depicting Lingam - who was sporting a moustache - talking on the phone with Fairuz.

Only an eight-minute edited version of the clip was released by Anwar today so as to protect the identity of a "third party".

It is not clear who Lingam was meeting at his home in Kelana Jaya, or how many people were there.

When he ended his telephone call with Fairuz, he apparently turned to talk to the people at the meeting.

While the audio recording was not clearly audible since Lingam's voice was rather soft unlike that in the video clip, Anwar provided the following the transcript:

Lingam: Don't ask… because Vincent has taken me to PM's residence… the house…

Lingam: Vincent (Tan) had problems… Anwar's case… all the lawyers… very… this and that…

Lingam: But I cannot go and talk to PM just like that and say promote this and that…

Lingam: Because ah, he knows… I am a… but when PM calls me on Anwar's case, I can tell him… he'll return…

Lawyer VK Lingam on the phone with Ahmad Fairuz over the fixing the appointment of judges

Royal Commission To Probe Controversial Video Clip

Royal Commission To Probe Controversial Video Clip

November 16, 2007 19:01 PM

Royal Commission To Be Set Up To Probe Controversial Video Clip

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- A royal commission will be set up to investigate a video clip featuring a purported telephone conversation between a prominent lawyer and a senior judge over the appointment of judges.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the establishment of the panel was deemed appropriate based on the report by a three-man panel set up to determine the authenticity of the video clip recently.

"We've agreed to set up the commission. Now we're deciding on the terms of reference, the tasks to be undertaken by the commission," he told reporters after calling on Uruguayan President Dr Tabare Vasquez and his wife, Maria Auxiliadora Delgado de Vasquez, who are making a five-day visit to Malaysia, here today.

Abdullah said the three ministers who were tasked by the cabinet to give legal input on the report by the three-man independent panel would give their views and suggestions at the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The prime minister said the members of the royal commission would be determined after its terms of reference were finalised.

Asked whether the government was pressured into establishing the commission by certain groups, Abdullah reiterated that the decision was based on the report submitted by the special panel.

"Before this we said that please wait for the panel to come up with its report. The report is out and based on its contents, it appears that it is appropriate to set up the royal commission, hence our decision," he said.

The special panel comprised former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor, social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye and former Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar.

The three ministers asked to give legal input on the panel's report are Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and Home Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

Lingam's brother lodges 'explosive' report. My brother not of sound mind: Lingam

Controversy-ridden lawyer VK Lingam today described his enstranged brother, who had leveled numerous accusations of judicial corruption against him, as being delusional. 'Hallucinations, suicidal tendencies' He is being exploited Lawyer V.K. Lingam's brother lodges 'explosive' report

PETALING JAYA (Nov 19, 2007): A brother of prominent lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam has lodged a police report against him, containing explosive allegations of offers of gifts to a former top judge, a former police top brass, and a former top officer of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Electrician K.V. Thirunanama Karasu, 50, made the report on March 19 this year, in which he said he and another brother were involved, either individually or jointly, in delivering the gifts in 1996.

This report is pursuant to another report which he lodged three days earlier at Kelana Jaya where he alleged that he was being followed and watched and that he feared for his life and safety of his family, because of a report he had wanted to lodge against Lingam and all those involved.

The March 19 police report was given to reporters today by Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP) secretary-general Wee Choo Keong (pix), who said Thirunama Karasu called him 10 days ago for help and subsequently gave him a copy of his report.

Thirunama Karasu was not present at today's press conference at the MDP office at SS2.
Police on Sunday were not able to confirm receiving the report but a source said such reports are usually referred to the Federal Commercial Crimes Investigations Department and if any elements of corruption are found, the department will liaise with the Anti-Corruption Agency.
In his report, Thirunama Karasu named the gifts that he delivered:

* A new leather briefcase (containing some documents), a wallet and a lady's leather handbag, delivered to a former top judge's house in 1996.

* Three bowls of soup prepared by a brother's wife for the former top judge's wife who was sick at that time (no date given).

* Four handphones and one extra battery to the former top judge and two former judges.
Thirunama Karasu also alleged that in 1995, he saw Lingam handing over a cheque for RM50,000 to a former industrial court chairman.

In that year, he also witnessed a dinner hosted by Lingam at his house in SS7, Kelana Jaya, for the former top judge and a former senior judge and their wives and children.

Thirunama Karasu also alleged that he had driven Lingam to the former top judge's house, usually at about 11.30pm, and the latter would be carrying a big bundle of files. But when he returned to pick him up between 12.30am and 1am, he would be carrying a single file.
His police report also alleged that in 1996, he received cash from Lingam to settle a handphone bill in the name of a former top policeman.

Thirunama Karasu also recounted an incident in 1996, in which his brother instructed him, another sibling and a family friend to withdraw large sums of money from a bank in Jalan Sultan Ismail upon receiving information that the Anti-Corruption Agency was going to Lingam’s office to investigate the Perwaja Steel corruption case.

Some of the money was banked into his and the family friend's accounts and five bank drafts for 60,000 pound sterling each were later banked into his account, and the accounts of five other people in London.

Thirunama Karasu claimed that in 1998, Lingam warned him not to tell the ACA about his dealings with the former judges and the former top policeman and those involved after he (Thirunama Karasu) gave a full statement to lawyer "Datuk Safee (sic) Abdullah and Sulaiman Abdullah".

His police report did not mention the context in which he had given that statement.
However, he did say that in December 1997, he was forced to sign a statutory declaration prepared by Lingam, and another brother.

"In 1998, my brother sent three lawyers who forced me into making a false statement and made me sign the statement on 81 pages. They then told me to get admitted for two years in Hospital Bahagia. I refused. They then told me to put up an act that I was very depressed and mentally unstable and get admitted in University Hospital," said Thirunama Karasu.

"They put fear into me during the 1998 ACA investigations and I told them that in 1998, the first and third statement which I gave ACA was true and the second statement was false," he added.

Wee said there was no link between the sources of the 14-minute video clip released by Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in September and Thirunama Karasu's police report.

He said the decision to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the video clip as announced by the prime minister on Friday should also take into account the contents of this police report.

Sarawak Lawyers must help vindicate George Seah

Govt must 're-interfere' to repair damage
Soon Li Tsin
Nov 17, 07

Judges have no way of changing the judiciary themselves and the onus is on the government, a former Lord President stated in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Speaking for the very first time on the scandalous VK Lingam tape, former Lord President Salleh Abas said the government has a duty to re-interfere into the judiciary.

"If the government was prepared to interfere in 1988 judiciary crisis which brought it to the present state of affairs, the government has a duty to re-interfere in order to repair the damage," he said to rousing applause.
Salleh Abas - who is synonymous with the 1988 judicial crisis - was addressing 1,000 people who packed the hall in a forum entitled 'Judiciary Crisis - How to Stop the Rot?' organised by think tank Institute for Policy Research (IKD).

In 1988, then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had Salleh tried by a special tribunal on charges of misconduct, for questioning constitutional amendments that seriously eroded the powers of the judiciary.

Two of five Supreme Court judges - George Seah and the late Wan Sulaiman Pawanteh - who had ruled that the tribunal was convened unconstitutionally were sacked along with Salleh, after being found guilty of misconduct by a tribunal of six judges, including one each from Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Some have described the dismissal of the top judges from the Supreme Court - then the country's highest court, now renamed Federal Court - as Malaysia's darkest hours in its judicial history.

Appearing in better health since his last engagement with the press at Kuala Lumpur Hospital last year, Salleh however said Seah's (right) health is deteriorating.

"He is alive but he is having a health problem that makes him almost at a vegetative state. I met him last year and this is a very sad thing to say, he cried. I cry too. I cry a lot," he said in an emotion-choked voice.

Salleh also bitterly noted that, by definition, the country has no judiciary.

"If by definition a judiciary means an independent, incorruptible and neutral judiciary – then I can say we don't have one, no," he said.

The Kuala Terrenganu-based Salleh proceeded to lay down several steps that needs to be taken in order to restore the judiciary back to its former glory.

These include:

- Setting up a judicial commission on appointments and promotions of judges

- Restore the vesting of judicial authority clause into the constitution to give power back to the courts

- Tenure of office of judges should be fixed so that they do not feel afraid of making decisions eg judicial commissioners given a two year contracts are incapable of performing independently because they are subject to promotion or dismissal when the contract ends

- Revise methods in removing judges should the judge be incapable of performing his or her legal duties or for health reasons

-Protocol of judges must be looked into. Giving out of awards and honours to judges should be automatic when they hold certain positions

Another speaker, former Court of Appeal judge Shaik Daud Ismail appealed to the public to act in restoring the judicial crisis.

He also took pot shots at the past and present government after relating several encounters with them.

"I had met with the (then) Prime Minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) to speak about the deterioration in the court. We spoke for about an hour and nothing came out of that.

"We also have a law minister (Nazri Abdul Aziz) saying the government cannot interfere with the judiciary by setting up a judicial commission. This minister of course talks a lot but does nothing," he said to a tickled audience.

Other speakers include PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysian Bar vice president K Ragunath.